Dana stared at herself in the mirror for a long time, frowning, before going downstairs to the dinner table. Her mom had made her favorite -- pot roast with mashed potatoes -- but tonight, Dana wasn't eating. She couldn't afford those calories. She had a long way to go before she would even look decent in that two piece suit.

"Umm...I'm not really hungry, mom. I'll just have some salad." Her mother put her hand on her forehead to check for a fever. "Are you okay, honey? I've never known you to turn down pot roast."

Dana quickly ate her salad, minus the dressing, and ran upstairs to stare in the floor- length mirror of her room. "Never turned down pot roast..." she kept repeating to herself. "Well, from today, I'm never having pot roast again. Never."

Body image -- the way we see ourselves -- is a constant worry for some teenagers, especially girls. It seems we're always surrounded by pictures of beautiful, skinny models. While some girls might have that kind of shape, most don't.

Unfortunately, a lot of us get the idea that the Calista Flockhart body frame is the only way to be happy, popular or catch a guy's eye. That, of course, just isn't true. But, it's OK to want to look your best. Many girls go about changing their bodies in positive ways. Some eat healthier -- carrot sticks instead of potato chips, for example. Others exercise more. Even a 20-minute walk a few times a week can make a difference in your thighs, as well as your attitude. Unfortunately, too many girls want to make unrealistic changes in their bodies and that drives them to do unhealthy things. Anorexia and bulimia, among other eating disorders, have become more and more common among teenage females.

Melissa, 17, suffered from anorexia and bulimia for almost two years before she finally got help. "I refused to eat. But when I was forced to eat, I would go in the bathroom and throw it up. It really screwed everything up for me."

Melissa remembers how destructive television and magazines were to her self-confidence.

"The media plays a huge part in it. They always show models who are rail-thin, and some girls in high school, and even older, think they're not worth as much because they don't have the incredible legs or gorgeous breasts or flat stomachs."

After Melissa attempted suicide, her friends and relatives realized she had a problem that needed serious attention. She got help. Now, she has been healthy and active for more than two years. 

"My friends really encouraged me and helped me through this,'' she says.

"Now I eat well and exercise. And I'm happy with who I am."

Girls who have tried to change their bodies in more positive ways are much healthier, and ultimately, happier than those who starve themselves. Sherry, 18, believes that "no one should change for anyone else. But, if you want to change something for yourself, like losing your weight, then the best thing to do is change your eating habits and exercise."

Most of all, try to remember that no one's perfect -- not even the cover girl models. And, maybe more importantly, looking good doesn't guarantee happiness.

That comes from the inside.