Whether it's making promises to lose weight or to exercise more, resolutions have long been a traditional aspect of ringing in the New Year. For most, health and appearance can be at the top of the list in a relentless pursuit of thinness - a quest that all too often results in low self-esteem, body-image disturbances or an eating disorder.

This year the top 10 "No" Year's resolutions may be the best "New" Year's resolutions for women who want better physical and emotional well-being. Experts at The Renfrew Center of Philadelphia, the nation's leading organization for the treatment of eating disorders, suggest the following 10 "No" Year's resolutions women can follow to achieve a healthier way of thinking about themselves and their bodies in 2005.

NO! I won't tell myself, "If only I were thin, I would be happy."
NO! I won't define my sense of self by the way my body looks.
NO! I won't use food as a reward or diet to punish myself.
NO! I won't allow my daily mood to be determined by the number on my
scale.
NO! I won't minimize my own achievement by comparing myself to an
unattainable ideal.
NO! I won't push myself too hard by over-exercising.
NO! I won't force my body to conform to something that does not feel
realistic to me.
NO! I won't pass up an opportunity to help make the world more
accepting of all body types.
NO! I won't pass on food or body concerns to my children.
NO! I won't lose the importance of caring for myself on a daily basis.

"Many women obsess over body size and weight and develop distorted body images partly as a reflection of low self-esteem," says Adrienne Ressler, CSW, national training director for The Renfrew Centers. 

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