According to thousands of women around the world, beauty is more than skin deep, however, only two percent of women actually consider themselves beautiful.  Harvard University psychologist and author of Survival of the Prettiest, Doctor Nancy Etcoff: 

�The media and culture portray a very narrow image of what beauty is today, but the true essence of beauty is a combination of many traits, both internal and external. The ugly truth we�re finding is that although women are able to recognize beauty in others, through their warmth and intelligence, humor and their kindness, real women aren�t seeing their own beauty represented through diverse and more realistic imagery in society.�

Change, according to Doctor Etcoff, is already occurring.  Major brand names like Dove are sponsoring studies and programs to help broaden and diversify today�s beauty image.  Dove is encouraging discussion and debate on the topic at w-w-w-dot-campaign-for-real-beauty-dot-com.