How unhealthy is YOUR life? Brutal NHS test ranks you on a scale of 1 to 10

The month of healthier choices is coming to an end.

Whether you skipped out on animal products for Veganuary or ditched the booze for Dry January, will you carry these habits into next month?

Well a test from the NHS could help you figure out which changes you need to make permanent, albeit brutally. 

The How Are You? health quiz scores you out of 10 based on your well-being, fitness and diet — just don’t expect it to go easy on you.

The How Are You? health quiz scores you out of 10 based on your well-being, fitness and diet — just don’t expect it to go easy on you

An example of some of the advice given to respondents who select some of the unhealthiest options

The quiz, which vows to ‘point you in the right direction’, begins by asking how you are feeling right now.

You will be met with six sliding scales, such as from ‘really knackered’ to ‘full of beans’, that you need to move to where best fits your current mood or energy level.

Other scales measure how well you’re sleeping, how fit you currently are and your stress levels.

The quiz also asks what’s stopping you from taking care of yourself health-wise, such as not having enough money or time.

The next question focuses on who depends on you being healthy, such as children, grandchildren or pets.

We all have reasons, sometimes excuses, for why we can’t take better care of ourselves, so the quiz will then ask what’s stopping you from doing so, with answers ranging from not having enough money or time to having to prioritise looking after others

The quiz, found on the NHS website, then asks for your top three health priorities, with options including fitting into your jeans, having more energy, or keeping your mind sharp. 

At this point you are given some advice based on your general well-being, such as how you can boost your energy levels and find time for self-care. 

In the eating section, the quiz asks which choice you would make regarding drinks, potatoes, breakfast cereal, cheese and meat.

You are made to choose between options such as sugary drinks or water, or boiled or roasted potatoes. 

And you also have to log how many portions of fruit and vegetables you eat every day, on average. 

The last part of this section focuses on snacking and asks you to select all the snacks you would eat in a typical day, such as crisps, chocolate or cake. 

Would you choose a sugary drink or water? And would you boil your potatoes rather than fry them?

Your food choices are then criticised or commended, and you will be advised how you can make better choices with your diet in order to stay healthy.

The quiz then moves onto the ‘stronger stuff’ and asks how often you drink booze, and how much.

You are asked to count how many pints, half pints, single shots of spirits or glasses of wine you would drink on a typical weekday and typical day at the weekend.

Again, depending on your answers you will be advised on whether your intake is dangerous, how to drink sensibly and responsibly or congratulated on your lack thereof. 

For part four, you are asked to log how many minutes of exercise, such as fast walking or cycling, and strengthening, such as yoga or weights, you do each day.

The final section of the quiz asks if, and how much, you smoke.

At the end of the quiz you are scored, rather unforgivingly, out of 10. 

Lastly you will be given some recommendations on areas you could be healthier in and how to achieve this, such as getting exercise tips, suggesting having drink free days and trying healthy eating recipes. 

The test does not ask about BMI.