Cynthia Bulik is the author of a new book - The Woman in the Mirror: How to Stop Confusing What You Look Like with Who You Are.

She joined us this morning on Sunrise to discuss the new epidemic - poor body image.

Cynthia says many women, regardless of income, size, shape, ethnicity, and age, are uncomfortable in their own skin.

We fixate on our body image and try endless diets, implants, hair extensions, and new shoes, but it's never enough.

Cynthia believes the problem is that girls and women have been socialised to mistakenly conflate body esteem and self-esteem.

Did you know?

• The average woman thinks about her body every 15 minutes
• By age 6, children are already aware of the societal bias against fat
• Over 80% of ten-year-olds are afraid of being fat
• Obese girls are only half as likely to attend university
• In a US national study of men and women ages 18 to 25, obese women earned 12% less than non-obese women.

Cynthia says that by reprogramming how we feel about ourselves and our bodies, we can practice healthy eating and sensible exercise, and focus on the many things we have to offer our family, community, and job.