It is common to find in situations where people meet, conversations about appearance, overweight, health and diets.
In Argentina, where social pressure towards thinness is increasingly high, aesthetic overweight is often confused with medical overweight. This approach implies that, in many cases, the former is given more importance than the latter. As a result, the country has the second highest rate of eating disorders in the world.
Statistics indicate that most women decide to diet for aesthetic reasons, while men do so for health reasons. ORA study carried out by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), entitled “Concerns, perceptions and habits in relation to body weight control in various Spanish populations,” reveals that the main motivation for starting a diet is aesthetics, especially for women (73% of cases). On the other hand, health is the second reason (42%) for dieting in the general population, but it becomes the first reason for men.
Many people diet under the guise of “healthy food” or following new, unsustainable and unrealistic eating proposals. In reality, these new foods are a diet with a new, more attractive name. These new practices share the same characteristics as traditional diets, such as restriction, lack of sustainability over time, and abandonment within an average period of six months. Therefore, it is important not to be fooled by these new proposals and understand that they are diets with a new name.
The obsession with thinness is a constant search in which many people immerse themselves. Women have been oppressed by this social norm since the 1960s, and now men are also beginning to fall for this premise. However, they are the ones who suffer the most from this condition.
Skipping meals, trying to eat like the Neanderthal did, becoming a nutritionist by ear, or following menus full of concepts that are not understood, is just a way to continue failing and gaining weight. It is proven, according to irrefutable studies, that restricting, under whatever name, leads to weight gain. These methods, in addition to being a useless and fruitless effort in the desired reduction, cause great psychological and organic suffering.
Orthorexia, an obsessive-compulsive disorder related to food, is an example of how a way of eating becomes a mental illness. People who suffer from orthorexia bring their own tupperware to dinners, measure and weigh the food, think about the exact nutrients in the food, and feel guilty if they eat something “forbidden.” These people do not eat perfectly, but rather have a psychological disorder that can make them crazy and sick.
The key to a healthy diet is to eat a variety of things. Food in itself does not make you fat, but it is the habit that does. It is essential to create a habit where you have everything you need, establish stable times between meals, serve adequate portions and do physical exercise. All this must be done gradually and well targeted. The result will be weight loss, improved self-esteem, a healthier body and a more balanced mind.
As the expression goes, “Don’t start a diet with an expiration date, start a lifestyle that lasts forever.”
If dieting is being considered, it is important to evaluate whether it is necessary to do so. If the weight is in a healthy range, it is advisable to accept the body as it is and avoid these methods for those suffering from weight-related medical problems. This is advice from someone who has seen enough suffering over these issues.
Bachelor Fabian Melamed
@Psi.fabianmelamed
by CEDOC