1. Losing weight is a good way to improve your health.
   True False
2. Dieting is the best way to lose weight.
   True False
3. Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends complex
   carbohydrates as our main source of food energy.
   True False
4. Almost half of Canadian women who have a healthy weight or are
   underweight are trying to lose weight.
   True False
5. Calisthenics or "spot-reducing" exercises are the best way to reduce body fat and tone muscles.
   True False
6. Self-esteem - how worthwhile you feel - is strongly affected by the
   people around you.
   True False
7. Women tend to score higher than men on measures of self-esteem.
   True False
8. Almost half of young males who use steroids say they are using them to change their appearance.
   True False
9. Physical activity has a positive effect on self-esteem.
   True False
10. VITALITY promotes a vigorous, disciplined approach to improving your lifestyle.
    True False

1. False. Losing weight will not necessarily improve your health. If you are at a healthy weight, losing and regaining weight (yo-yo dieting) is more harmful to health than maintaining a steady weight. Eating well, being active and feeling good about yourself is a good way to stay healthy.
2. False. Dieting is seldom successful in keeping lost weight off. Most people gain back about half of what they have lost within one year and they regain most lost weight within five years.
3. True. Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends eating more complex carbohydrates such as starch and fibre. These foods include cereals, breads, rice, pasta and other grain products, vegetables and fruit. The Food Guide suggests that you eat less fat and replace your food energy by eating foods with more complex carbohydrates.
4. True. Four out of ten Canadian women with a healthy weight and one in ten women who are underweight are still trying to lose weight. Even though 35% of men are overweight (compared to 26% of women), men do not demonstrate the same desire to lose weight.
5. False. Calisthenic exercises do not "spot reduce" body fat. Aerobic activities such as brisk walking can help reduce your body fat, but it is lost throughout your body, not from one place. Exercises for a specific body part, for example sit ups, will tone and strengthen underlying muscles but they will not reduce the layer of fat on top of the muscles. So enjoy being active, your way, everyday.
6. True. Self-esteem (how worthwhile you feel) is strongly affected by people in your life. When your partner, family and friends communicate love and respect, you will maintain a good sense of self-worth. And by helping and accepting others, you can encourage self-esteem in them.
7. False. Studies have shown that males have higher self-esteem than females at all ages. The difference is especially great during the teenage years.
8. True. One study found that as many as 83,000 young Canadians between the ages of 11 and 18 have used steroids in the last 12 months. Fifty-four per cent of male users say they use steroids to be better in sports; almost half say that they use steroids to improve their looks.
9. True. Studies have shown that active people have higher self-esteem than people who are inactive. Improving your level of physical activity helps you feel strong and capable.
10. False. VITALITY does not urge you to "go for the burn," restrict the foods you eat or give up television forever. VITALITY is about eating tasty, nutritious meals, staying active, sharing happy times with people you care about and believing in your own self-worth.

Health Canada 2002-11-14

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/weights-poids/vitalit/vitality_quiz-quiz_vitalite-eng.php