How do I know if I have a healthy or unhealthy body image?

Answer these questions and then read on to find out what your answers say about your body image.

1. Which parts of your body do you feel really good about?

2. Does your body image come from what you think or is it more influenced by what others think?

3. What would you change about your body or the way you look? Why?

4. Do you have a relative you look like? Or have you been told that you look like a certain celebrity? If so, how does it feel to know that you look like that person?

5. How much time do you spend getting ready before you go to school in the morning? Before you spend time with someone you’re interested in?

6. In general, how do you feel about food and eating? Is it something you enjoy, or something you feel worried, guilty or concerned about?

7. Is there something about your looks that would keep you home from school? A zit? A bad-hair day?

8. What steps would you take to change your body? Exercise? Cosmetic surgery? What do you think is too far?

When answering these questions, look for extremes. If, for example, there is not one thing you like about your looks or you’d skip school because something didn’t look right, you may have an unhealthy body image and may find it helpful to speak with a professional counselor to help work through any issues surrounding your body image. If, on the other hand, you found a number of things you like about your body and don’t spend too much time worrying about how you look, then you probably have a healthy body image.