Meryl Streeps Brilliant Advice About Women and Weight

You'd never hear such smart advice on body image from Miranda Priestly, the style-obsessed fashion editrix played by Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada—but the real Meryl did have something insightful to say on the topic, and we think it deserves a shout-out.

Last week at Indiana University, where Meryl accepted an honorary doctoral degree, the three-time Academy Award winner answered questions about her life and career. When someone asked her for her advice to aspiring performers, she said, "For young women, I would say don't worry so much about your weight. Girls spend way too much time thinking about that, and there are better things. For young men, and women, too, what makes you different or weird—that's your strength. Everyone tries to look a cookie-cutter kind of way, and actually the people who look different are the ones who get picked up. I used to hate my nose. Now I don't. It's OK."

Next time you feel pressure to conform to some cultural standard of beauty that doesn't reflect who you are or what a normal, healthy female body looks like, remember Meryl's sound advice. If you're stuck in a self-esteem hole and can't seem to deflect negative self-talk, these pointers on how to boost body confidence can help.

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