Whilst on the topic of slimming and weight reduction, one must take a peek into why there are so many fad diets and unhealthy unnatural slimming options than ever before. It is true that sedentary lifestyles and improper eating habits have led to higher instances of obesity and there is a need to be fit and healthy. But let us also look at the other side of the picture. What drives women and young girls to the eternal quest of getting slimmer and looking younger?
Female pictures that stare at us out of various advertising media revolve around ultra slim nubile bodies with enviable vital statistics. Fashion and beauty industry lays standards for what society considers as ‘beauty’. Without our being aware of it, women are led to believe in the culture of thinness, to the point of changing the body appearance, be it by diet plans, exercise or cosmetic surgery. In fact, the average woman is also judged by the standards laid down by the beauty industry.
Over time, these stereotypes have stuck….leading millions of women worldwide to become unhappy over their appearance and go through drastic measures to modify it. This also manifests as negative perceptions about how you look and even feel about your own body.
In fact, it is seen that many women in our Western nations believe that they are larger and fatter than they actually are. It leads to a process of dieting that often begins in the teens. Many women take to smoking, appetite suppression pills and use of laxatives to keep their weight in check. It is noticed that obsession with unnatural levels of thinness can lead to many a health hazard, from malnutrition and anorexia to osteoporosis and fertility problems. Glorifying and promoting unhealthy thinness has come in for a lot of flak from women’s rights groups and the medical fraternity.
The Madrid Fashion week that was recently held in Spain is a case in point where serious steps have been taken to curb this tendency towards ultra thin, waif like bodies. It has been seen as a step to promote a positive healthy image of beauty for women. The recommended levels of BMI as suggested by the UN Health experts are 18.5 – 25. Models that fell below these levels were not allowed to participate. It raised a hue and cry as designers and beauty industry has been geared towards the skinny, gazelle-like female structure.
What is needed is for all of us to become aware of keeping fit and healthy, through sensible eating and proper fitness. Let us look to the day when women with average and beautiful bodies are accepted for what they are and women will accept and love their bodies.
Look at some of the fallouts of unhealthy extreme steps taken by women to achieve the ‘perfect’ figure:
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder leads to obesity and other health problems. Find out the possible causes and alternative treatment options for binge eating.
Fad Diet
Fad diets are characterized by extremely low caloric intake and elimination of certain food groups. They are nutritionally skewed and may not help in weight loss in the long run.
Liposuction Surgery
The surgical process of liposuction has seen many variations – tumescent liposuction, laser liposuction and ultrasonic liposuction. All of them follow the basic principle of liposuction with an added feature.
