Linda Ellerbee, far left, and Rosie O'Don-nell look at the importance and unimportance of body image on "The Body Trap," 8 p.m. tomorrow on Nickleodeon.

Are kids hung up on their bodies? Do they worry that they need cut builds or have to be model-slender to be accepted?

Some kids do, indeed, think looks are everything, and it's no wonder. Magazine articles and ads, television shows and commercials, movies - all create a kind of fantasy world that has helped folks of all ages think that only people who have a certain look are valued.

Some girls as young as 8 worry about being fat. Experts think that this kind of thinking could lead to serious physical and emotional problems.

A Nickelodeon Channel TV special, "Nick News Special Edition: The Body Trap," on at 8 p.m. tomorrow, tries to help kids understand how their feelings about body image are created and how to see their own value separate from appearance.

The program is hosted by journalist Linda Ellerbee, whose company, Lucky Duck Productions, created the special and also does the cable channel's weekly "Nick News" shows. Ellerbee is joined by actor/comedian Rosie O'Donnell.

In the special a group of 10 kids watch film clips about topics related to body image, the selection of models for magazines and the very different ways black girls and white girls view their bodies.

A small boy in one clip recites the names he's been called by bigger classmates. A Teen Magazine editor explains why you'll never see a girl in her 'zine who isn't a beauty: "People don't like to look at average-looking models. It's a fact of life."

O'Donnell talks to the kids about her plump shape and the effect it's had on her career. Yes, she says, a woman who doesn't wear size 6 can succeed in entertainment. But she didn't like it when someone told her she looked better than anyone else at the Oscars - anyone fat.

Ellerbee looks into the camera and says: "Judging people by their looks is silly, and we all do it. My generation tried changing that and we failed miserably. That means it's up to you. Be a rebel leader."

Ellerbee advises youngsters to look in the mirror and say, "I like what I see. I like me."

And the kids on "Body Trap" offer their own advice:

Angela: "What you think about yourself is the only thing you should believe in."

Lisa: "You shouldn't only look at the person on the outside. You should look inside of them. You should see how the personality is and how they treat other people."

Jordan: "I'm 9 years old. I'm fine as I am and I don't mind being short . . . I wouldn't want to change myself."

Darren: "I don't think it's all the media's fault, because people have their own minds. The media just puts it in front of you."