Recently, I was strolling along the beach with the dog, somewhat oblivious to my surroundings – either deep in thought with regard to the meaning of life, or perhaps it was that my morning coffee hadn’t quite kicked in, yet! When all of a sudden he appeared – A NAKED BABY!

Ok, I am not really a prude, but I still somewhat taken back by nakedness. One rarely encounters nakedness accidentally. But, lo and behold this little chap (I’d say about 3 years old or so) was definitely naked! And, he couldn’t have been happier.

My new little friend was with his dad and the family dog. The dog and Jr. were frolicking at the water’s edge. Occasionally, a wave would rise up and dampen the little guy only to be met with peels of laughter. He truly didn’t have a care in the world, nor did he have any inhibitions about his nakedness. All was right with the world!

So naturally, I had to over analyze this. At what point do we become self conscious? Does it happen naturally or is it imposed upon us by society’s norms? So, I did a little research. It seems preschool age is about when children begin forming opinions about themselves and when they are influenced by the comments of parents, other significant adults (teachers) and their peers. Other studies suggest a slightly earlier age of around 3.

My guess is my little friend’s naked jaunts on the beach have a pretty short remaining shelf life. In a year or so, his own sense of self will prevent such carefree abandon. And, thus begins a path of self consciousness that will remain into his golden years. For many, this begins the path of body awareness – we will spend the rest of our lives analyzing, critiquing and fretting over our bodies.

Am I jealous of my little buddy? Absolutely! Imagine a day at the beach with out sucking in my gut or worrying about what was jiggling. A day without worry what others were thinking. A day without counting carbs. A day to shed off age-old inhibitions and just live.

Imagine for a minute, if we could just recapture that carefree abandon of running naked in the surf. When we didn’t judge our bodies, when we didn’t compare ourselves to beauty standards imposed by an industry trying to sell us perfection – if we only took this pill, wore these clothes, but this product, etc . . . Imagine how happy we could be. How we could focus on life’s important lessons. How we could learn to love one another for the beautifully unique creatures that we are.

International No Diet Day (INDD) is an annual celebration of body acceptance and diversity. It is observed on May 6 each year.

Dieting represents a huge money maker to the industry, despite is high failure rate. Only 5 to 10 percent of us succeed, but we all contribute to the staggering $40 billion in revenue amassed by the weight-loss industry annually. By the year 2006, revenues are estimated to top $48 billion.

According to Bankrate’s “10 things the Diet Companies Don’t Want You to Know”: All three of the largest national weight loss chains — Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and LA Weight Loss — continue to make millions in revenue. In 2003, Weight Watchers’ revenue was approximately $943 million, while Jenny Craig saw $280 million and LA Weight Loss climbed from revenues of $105 million in 2001 to $250 million and counting in 2003.

According to the Marketdata’s John LaRosa, costs of these programs vary regionally (franchises have latitude in what they charge) and individually. On average, joining Jenny Craig will set you back between $199 and $299 initially, plus $70 per week to buy its meals. Weight Watchers charges $29 to join and between $8 and $12 per week for meetings. LA Weight Loss sells a year’s program in advance and averages $575 for a full year’s service. Costs could go higher, depending on how many of the company’s bars and supplements you buy. Marketdata Enterprises, Inc., is an independent Tampa-based market research firm.

There is big money in making you feel bad about yourself. Advertisers have a vested interest in selling you an unobtainable ideal. Since, you can never actually reach you goal, you keep buying. Beyond the financial costs are dieting are the true costs to your health and self-esteem. One of every 11 commercials has a direct message about beauty (this isn’t counting the indirect ones).

So, today get off the diet roller coaster. Stop doing that to your body. Restrictive diets deprive the body of much needed nutrients and the weight tends to come back once you resume normal eating habits.

Instead of dieting, why not vow (and what better day than “No Diet Day” to do so) to eat healthier. Most of our diets could be a little healthier (Ok, mine could be a lot healthier). Eat more green things (and I’m not talking about the moldy donut you found rolling around the backseat), drink more water, and get out there and move.

If you’re not exercising, think about a walk in the park at lunch. Take the dog to the beach or the woods – whatever is nearby (he’ll thank you, too!). Go out and buy yourself a nice pair of walking shoes, and treat yourself to a little fresh air.

Finally, most diet ads are about making us feel bad because we are not supermodels. C’mon, you’re not really buying that are you? Appreciate your body – it has done a lot of wonderful things for you. It is you – uniquely you – embrace it. Find time to pamper it. Be nice to it. Don’t deprive it!! The cliché is that it’s what’s on the insides that counts, well – I can promise you until you start to feel good about you, it won’t matter what shape you’re in.

Stop, think about all you’ve accomplished. What have you done today to make yourself proud? We’ll deal with tomorrow, tomorrow.

This past weekend I was in Tahoe. The dog and I wandered off the beaten path in search of a quiet spot for him to roam untethered, when we stumbled upon a nude beach. If you haven’t been to a nude beach lately, it is an interesting exercise in body acceptance.

It takes a lot to let it all hang out – literally. Initially, a self consciousness makes one very aware of one’s flaws. However, you look around, realize no one cares and then it’s just another day at the beach!!

Ultimately, it is you that needs to be comfortable in your own skin – clothed or not. Sure you might have some flaws, but who doesn’t? I am not suggesting you seek out a nude beach to build self esteem – but consider the freedom. Not caring what others think. Not worrying about covering this or hiding that. Just being you.

Oh, and if you do elect to go to the nude beach, bring sunscreen!! Trust me!!!

When I was little, my mother brought me a sombrero from Mexico. She was trying to keep me from self-combusting – like they do in the vampire movies when sunlight strikes. You see, I was a little, pasty Irish kid living in NYC. After her trip to Mexico, I was a little, pasty Irish kid wearing a sombrero. "Well, you just don’t see that everyday!" As I grew older, the sombrero and I parted ways.

When the Sombrero failed, my mother tried to get me to put on zinc oxide. "Like the lifeguards," she would tell me. Remember zinc oxide? That white gooey stuff that had a slightly fishy smell to it and attracted sand into every pore. Great stuff! Thanks, Mom!

Some things we never learn. The other day I left the house to go to a BBQ without sunscreen. I figured it was slightly overcast, how bad could it be? (Apparently, I slept through 9th grade earth science and the fact that clouds don’t protect you from UV rays). It was a fun BBQ, and a few beers later I am as pink as a lobster. You could roast marshmallows off my face. Ugh, I never learn.

If I had a nickel for every sun burn that I’ve had over the years, I’d have enough to buy sunscreen!! Take it from me, put on some sunscreen. Today, it’s light weight, non-greasy and should be a part of your daily routine. Yes, I am channeling my mother.

When buying sunscreens look for a label with an SPF, or Sun Protection Factor, of 15 or greater. The SPF acts like a multiplying factor. If you would normally be OK in the sun for 10 minutes and you apply an SPF 10 sunscreen, you will be OK in the sun for 100 minutes. Remember, to apply the sunscreen 30 or so minutes in advance in order for the sunscreen to work, and bring some extra along in case you need to reapply.

All of us a Bear at Home wish the best of summers. Wear a hat, put on some sunscreen and go outside and play!! OMG – I do sound like my mother!!