How much do you love your body?

Answer key:
1. a=1, b=2, c=3
2. a=2, b=1, c=3
3. a=2, b=3, c=1
4. a=2, b=3, c=1
5. a=2, b=1, c=3
6. a=3, b=1, c=2
7. a=3, b=2, c=1

You ooze body confidence! (18-21 points)
Congratulations! You love your body and you're unbothered by unattainable standards of what society deems to be "perfect." You know that you're perfect just the way you are. Everyone should be so lucky to have as much body confidence as you. Keep loving, accepting and respecting yourself.

Give yourself a boost (11 -17 points)
You're neither overly self-critical nor overly self-confident. Although your negative and positive self-talk may be balanced, you could do more to banish the bad thoughts and glorify the good.

A 2004 study of 3,200 women from around the world commissioned by Unilever, makers of Dove soap, examined women's perspectives on beauty around the world. It revealed that only 1 per cent of Canadian women consider themselves to be "beautiful." If you think that number is too low, do your part to elevate it by giving yourself a big body-confidence boost. You've got nothing to lose and lots of confidence, strength and self-love to gain. Follow these suggestions from the June 2005 issue of Canadian Living magazine.

1. Accentuate your best features. Wearing clothes that show off your body will make you feel sexier and more confident. For example, if you have a small waist, try tucking your shirts in, or if you have nice legs, wear a short skirt.

2. Practise positive self-talk. Take two to five minutes in front of a mirror each day to list all the things you like about yourself.

3. Be active. Being active makes it easier to appreciate your body for what it can do. Try extending your usual bike ride by 10 minutes or swimming a few extra laps at the pool and see how energized you feel.

4. Forget dieting; eat healthy. Eating right helps your body feel great and in turn helps you feel great about your body.

5. Do things that make you feel good. Take time to invest in yourself, whether that means signing up for a boxing class, getting out with friends or going for a massage.

Overly self critical (7-10 points)
Stop and ask yourself why you're so self-critical. Life is too short to keep dwelling on all the things that you're not. Why not get to know all of your positive attributes and accept yourself as you are? Do something that makes you happy today and give yourself permission to speak well of -- and love -- yourself. Identify and stop your negative thoughts before they can damage your sense of well-being and replace them with positive thoughts. Follow the suggestions above in "Give yourself a boost" and you'll be on your way to finding a happier -- and more body-confident -- you.

Page 2 of 2