In the 80s and 90s, extreme thinness became a symbol of success and beauty. From there arises what I call the generation of the diet: women between 40 and 50 who have spent much of their life restricting their diet, even without presenting obesity or health problems. Many of them, when asked why they want to be thinner, no longer find a concrete reason; They simply respond to the social mandate of “having to be.”
Beauty was never an individual choice: it is cultural and historical. Paleolithic Venus celebrated the abundance of fat as a synonym for fertility; In the Renaissance, voluptuous curves were desired; In the Victorian era, it was the minimum waist achieved with Corsés. In the twentieth century, the standards changed again until consolidating in the 80s and 90s a cult of thinness so extreme that it normalized malnutrition in the catwalks. Latin America, far from being foreign, showed some of the largest indices of eating disorders. In our country, teenage television series reinforced stigma: thinness amounted to beauty, while overweight was associated with sadness and loneliness.
The consequences of decades of food restrictions are multiple. A permanent diet can generate three main effects: micronutrient deficit, exacerbation of the mechanisms of hunger and slowing metabolism. Who repeats diets throughout his life lives with constant hunger, which activates survival processes that lead to compulsively eating. At the same time, metabolism slows down, making it more and more difficult to lose weight and favoring the rapid recovery of kilos.
To this is added the so -called hidden malnutrition, product of a poor variety that causes deficiencies of vitamins and minerals. Although it can be compensated with supplements, the ideal would be to prevent it through a balanced diet.
The problem is not the diet itself, which is necessary in cases of obesity or when there is real health risk. The critical point is the normalization of living in diet, transforming many women into chronic dietants. In that scheme, food is divided into “good” and “bad”, generating more guilt than well -being.
The final reflection is clear: it is not about being against diets, but about asking ourselves why we follow such rigid beauty standards. The real challenge is to understand that no aesthetic model should be imposed at any cost.
For more information about Dr. Leonardo Sande, his clinic and his programs to combat obesity, you can visit your website www.clinicasande.com.uy, call (+598) 98 275 020 or write to [email protected]. You can also follow Dr. Sande on Instagram @drleonardosande to stay up to date with the latest news and health and well -being tips.
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