About the Book

You'd Be So Pretty If: Teaching Our Daughters to Love Their Bodies -- Even When We Don't Love Our Own (Da Capo Press, 2009) is a non-fiction book that helps moms raise daughters who feel good about their bodies. It explores the powerful effect that a mother’s self-image can have on her daughter.

The book grew out of my experience as Shape magazine’s Weight-Loss Diary columnist, where more than a million readers followed along as I attempted to shed not only pounds, but also old attitudes about my body.

While I successfully met my weight-loss goal, I worried constantly about how my then 11-year-old daughter's body image was affected by watching me restrict calories and put in many tough gym hours. That concern led me to research and write You'd Be So Pretty If, which I’m proud to say won the Outstanding Book Award in the Service category from the American Society of Journalists and Authors. I’m also grateful to the many readers who reach out to tell me how much the book has meant to them.

Journalists and bloggers often quote me in their stories about mothers, daughters and body image. Here are some of my favorite interviews:

• Real Simple
• Family Confidential with Annie Fox
• NBC's TODAY Show
• The Washington Post
• Newsweek
• A Weight Lifted Blog

Want to connect with me on the topic of girls, women and body image? Like You'd Be So Pretty If... on Facebook.