Actress Denise Richards As the mother of three little girls under the age of 8, actress Denise Richards confesses that she often feels like a hypocrite when trying to teach them to have a healthy body image

.  The 40-year-old actress writes on ivillage, that while looks and weight do matter in Hollywood, she\'s careful when she approaches those subjects with her daughters. She writes: \"When I exercise I never say I work out to stay thin, I always use the words healthy and strong. I don\'t obsess about wearing makeup when I leave the house or looking a certain way. I often look frumpy in paparazzi shots because I may just throw myself together going to the park and soccer games.\" The \"Starship Troopers\" actress writes that she\'s often asked about her thoughts on plastic surgery, and believes that it\'s all about whatever makes a person feel good about themselves. While she went under the knife as a teen to enlarge her breasts, Richards says that\'s now something she regrets: At 19 when I first got my breasts done, I wish that I was confident enough with my body to not have had surgery. That is something that I really want to encourage in my daughters, to embrace their healthy body and have confidence. I actually feel more confident in my skin now than in my 20\'s. Being confident is one of the sexiest qualities a woman can exude.\"