Denise Richards has confessed that she often feels like a hypocrite when trying to teachher three young children 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."
Denise also spoke about her regrets at having plastic surgery. 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."

It's not the first time Richards has talked about these regrets. This past summer she told Us Weekly, "When I was 19, a doctor put in bigger implants than what I asked for. I was in such a hurry to get them that I didn't research my doctor, I just thought because they're a plastic surgeon, they must be good. You have to be your advocate for your own body and ask 100 questions."