Just jumping in here about the body image thing.. It's easy to be highly self-critical, especially at 17. When I was 17 I was very, very slim, with a lovely figure, yet I was terribly self-conscious and thought I was fat, partly because of negative comments made by my parents. It took me a long to time to develop confidence in myself, and honestly, I learned to be happy in my own skin and feel like an attractive woman, even when I was very overweight. I used to go out clubbing with younger, prettier and slimmer girls and got more attention and compliments from men than they did, because I was happy in myself, I felt good about myself and I exuded confidence - these things are attractive and more noticeable than a couple of spare tyres.

I think none of us likes to see rolls of fat on ourselves, but actually, I'd prefer to see a few rolls of fat than a scowl. I also prefer to see someone who's a bit overweight than someone with knobbly knees and scrawny bones sticking out. It's pretty difficult to achieve near perfection - even the film and fashion industry have to use lighting tricks and Photoshop to remove flaws and enhance the appearance of their models/stars, who often have punishing schedules and diets, and often have had cosmetic surgery to remove excess fat, etc.

As someone else pointed out, when you're young, you have beautiful, radiant skin, and the potential to be very lovely, whether or not you are a bit overweight. You just need to pay a little more attention to presentation. Wear a little make-up to boost your confidence - mascara will emphasise your eyes, and find a lipstick which enhances your colouring - Boots Number 17 lasts well, isn't expensive and isn't tested on animals. Always keep your hair shiny and well-cut. I would advise against wearing loose, baggy clothes as those will make you look fatter. Try on ankle-length clothes which skim over your shape, and long-length tops which skim over your hips, and which are shaped in at the waist, to show your curves.

Physical looks are of course, less important than ensuring we make the most of our abilities and gifts - that way we will always be judged on our merits, rather than our appearance. However, I do think that it is possible to be attractive while weighing 180lbs.. and I believe that as you get older you'll come to realise it.

You're only young once, so make the most of it and enjoy your teenage years. Don't let a few extra pounds limit your choices in life.