Girls and body image - quiz answers | Better Health Channel

Check the answers to our quick Girls and body image quiz. You can also browse the Better Health Channel for more information on this topic.

1. A
Your body image is the way you think and feel about your body. This could have nothing to do with the way you really look. A poor body image can be related to low self-esteem and feelings like depression and anxiety. This can lead to all sorts of problems, like repeated crash dieting and other unhealthy practices.

2. C
Media and advertising push images of thin women. After a lifetime of seeing thin women in magazines and on television being hailed as sexy and attractive, many of us end up feeling that there is only one 'right' way for a woman to look. This isn't true. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.

3. A
It's normal for women to carry some fat on their hips and thighs, and dieting doesn't remove this fat.

4. A
Moderate exercise as well as a balanced diet keeps you healthy and is the best way to manage body weight - but if a girl feels self-conscious, she might avoid exercising because she doesn't want anyone else to see her body.

5. B
About 20 per cent of regular exercisers (which is around five per cent of the population) are addicted to exercise. An exercise disorder is like any other form of eating disorder, because it's often motivated by similar things - like poor body image and not feeling good about yourself in general.

6. B
The urge to diet is almost always caused by feeling unhappy with body shape or size or other negative feelings like depression. It's important to know that even a mild crash diet can increase the risk of a girl developing an eating problem and possibly even contribute to weight problems.

7. A.
Remember that when you weigh yourself, you're weighing bone, muscle, organs and fluid - not just body fat. Your weight can change significantly, particularly if you are still growing. If your mood for the day depends on the scales, then stop weighing yourself. Aim for a healthy lifestyle, rather than weight loss.

8. B
Self-esteem and body image are closely related. If a girl thinks she's unattractive or fat, her self-confidence can drop. Feeling unhappy with other relationships with friends and family or things that are happening at school can also lead to negative feelings about your body.