Too much social media is bad for our mental health. “When we derive a sense of worth based on how we are doing relative to others, we place our happiness in a variable that is completely beyond our control,” says Dr Tim Bono, author of When Likes Aren’t Enough.*

On social media everyone puts up only the best of their photos, using special angles and lighting. It is often photo shopped or filtered, to get the perfect effect. And even though we know that is so, we still compare ourselves with what we see and feel dissatisfied with how we look.

In media and advertising, being thin is associated with wealth, success, popularity and sex appeal.

But you don’t have to look like a magazine model to be healthy and happy.

HEALTHY: I believe that health is our real wealth, and should be our number one focus. If you have any health issues, it would be wise to address them as a priority.

Also, love the body you are in. If you do this, you will lovingly feed it nourishing foods and take whatever other steps are necessary to ensure you feel great physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

HAPPY: Happiness is an inside job. It is a choice, a state of mind, and based on gratitude and self-love.

Happiness will never come from conforming to the media’s ideal body image. If you want to lose weight and it comes from a feeling of lack or not being good enough, you may find that you still feel that way once you’ve lost the weight. Amazing, but true.

So make sure your focus is on being healthy and happy.