Body image issues affect many of us throughout our lives, with the ability to find something to love about yourself difficult to achieve even if the rest of your life is running smoothly. These complex problems don't come from nowhere, however, and often begin or find their root cause in our childhoods. Being a teenager is a tough gig as it is. While you still have the security of living at home while you go through education, unstable hormones and being forced to grow up too fast while still being stuck with your parents can make for a heated argument or two. Throwing into the mix any negativity towards your own body, things can get pretty intense. Compiled by Whisper, these testimonies from teenagers with body issues explain exactly why they feel the way they do.

1. It all adds up

2. Bullying can have long-lasting effects

3. Everyone has body issues

4. Surgery scars

5. Self-confidence is running low

6. You never know what's going on in their life

7. Stretch marks

8. Solutions don't come easy

9. A daily struggle

10. From an early age

11. Support goes a long way

12. Appearances can be deceiving

Issues like this don't disappear overnight, and there is no easy solution to make things right. But by talking to someone and expressing yourself, you can make some progress. On the other side of things, being aware of the way you speak to people is essential, since you don't know what underlying issues you may be affecting with careless words.

12 Teens reveal the reasons why they actually hate their bodies