Today, there is growing concern over the emergence of a dangerous obsession with body weight among the young women. Scaling an abnormal peak, this mania-to-be-svelte threatens to warp a woman’s self image and esteem, besides causing irreparable harm to the body. Yet, starvation continues unabated, assuming endemic proportions. Result? Disastrous, naturally.

Willful Starvation Sowing the seeds of an eating disorder.

Anita, 25, is extremely conscious of her looks. She is educated, competitive, confidant and a perfectionist. She is slim and ‘health-conscious’. For her a slim and trim frame is a ticket to popularity and success. This description fits many the young women we encounter. Yes, for most of today’s young women being thin at any cost has become an obsession which has to be achieved at any cost be it through constantly dieting and/or by over exercising.

The turn of the century has seen a total change in the way the world perceives and lays stress on how important it is for today’s women to be or become slim. Today it is essentially the 3 P’s press (media), peers (friends and colleagues) and parents who are behind this propaganda, which extols slim bodies. Potential for success and popularity seems to be on how little they weigh. Mushrooming beauty pageants and increased exposure to media reinforce the fact that physical perfection defines the person we are and size is equated with potential success. These influences have a subtle effect on women’s self image and make them achieve a weight loss despite the fact that they are already within their desirable weight range which then proves hazardous to health.

Health Hazards

Most of today’s women who have bought into this ‘trim-is-in’ mentality, are becoming victims of fad diets, diet gurus and fitness experts who promise quick weight loss at a handsome price through ‘expert advice’ on diet and exercise and ‘ nutrition’ and ‘herbal’ supplements. We often encounter two categories of women the ‘poor eaters’ and the ‘chaotic eaters’. The ‘poor eaters’ are the ones who nibble when they have to eat or they go on one two food diets. The ‘chaotic eaters’ are the ones who binge on junk foods on one day and either starve or over exercise on the next day out of guilt. Some of these women may even go a step further and pop in pills like appetite suppressants, diuretics ,thyroid supplements and laxatives to control their weight. Some may depend on smoking and excessive caffeine (tea and coffee) intake to suppress their appetite. All these unscientific methods of maintaining weight deny the body of the much-needed nutrients. This may often lead to irreversible and even permanent health problems in future. These could range from as trivial as dry skin and dry hair to something as serious as heart disease and kidney disorders.

Constant nutritional deprivation could lead to dry skin, dry hair, dizzy and fainting spells, low blood sugar levels, low blood pressure, chronic fatigue, muscle weakness, low haemoglobin levels leading to anaemia, constant throat infections, hormonal imbalances, irregularity in menstrual periods with ammenorrhoea (complete cessation of menstruation) on reaching a very low body weight or it can be ‘ exercise freak ammenorrhoea’ due to over exercising, susceptibility to infections, periodontal problems. Other problems would include silent bone loss due to lack of calcium leading to osteoporosis. A cycle of yo-yo dieting, that is weight-loss and regain and again weight loss, predisposes a person to having heart attacks by middle age. With sudden weight loss and regain, hardening of arteries (atherosclerosis) is encouraged due to sudden release of fats into the blood circulation. Constantly playing around with body’s metabolic rate could lead to lasting and threatening conditions like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disorders, gall stones and even cancer.

Preoccupation with food intake and body weight and constant self-denial may have far reaching psychological consequences. Focusing too much energy on achieving physical perfection can therefore be physically and psychologically draining. It will not allow many of today’s women to achieve their true potential, develop their talents and form strong relationships and emotionally attachments.

Catch yourself early

If you are one of these women who is dissatisfied with your body image and therefore how you look, you are on your way to getting trapped in an eating disorder maze, which may lead you to the potentially dangerous conditions like anorexia nervosa and/or bulimia. Even if you do not reach these stages, constantly being on a diet will also have far reaching consequences on your physical and mental health. Remember that there is no miracle formula that exists for today’s women. Slow weight loss or weight maintenance through sensible eating and exercise regime is the best bet. Cut back on the excesses in your diet fats, simple sugars and alcohol. Pay attention to the essentials in your diet proteins, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Healthy lifestyle will go a long way in improving your body and therefore your body image, self-image, self-perception. It will make you look good and feel food today and stand you in good stead in the future. Remember, while you’re young, your body can still be retrained to absorb nutrition, and be healthy. Wait too long, and most of the damage will be hard, if not impossible, to undo.

Madhavi Trivedi                      
Nutritionist and Diet Consultant