The dangers of being too thin

Obesity is harmful to one’s health. Equally harmful is over dieting or self starvation. This is particularly true in case of young women. Many adolescent and teenage women tend to skip meals or remain underfed to become slim or reduce body weight. This kind of dieting is more harmful than being obese. The fad to become or remain slim is associated with the current concept of looking good. It is a natural desire for women to look good as per the contemporary standards. Beauty contests held encourage this instinct. But in a bid to become slim and beautiful, many adolescent girls and teenagers resort to many measures including literally starving. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are two behavior abnormalities which are the extreme manifestations of this craze. In anorexia nervosa, a young girl indulges in almost total self starvation. At times she may induce vomiting to throw out the little food she has taken. Whereas in bulimia, the affected person binges to later induce vomiting or take laxatives to cleanse herself of the over eating. There are many harmful effects of these whims. First and foremost it deprives the affected person of the necessary nutrients and calories necessary for healthy functioning of the body. The result is anemia and protein calorie deficiency. The overall resistance of the body is reduced, making it more prone to diseases. Due to lack of necessary quantity and fiber in the food, one starts suffering from constipation and related gastric disorders. The result is loss of appetite, making the person feel sicker. Not eating adequately will make one feel tired easily and find it difficult to work efficiently. Crash dieting also destroys the beauty of the face, thus negating the very reason for which one suffers so much. Imagine the pinched out sick looking face of a young woman in contrast to the healthy robust round face. Which looks better? The long term consequences of this kind of dieting are also bad. Women have an increased requirement of iron and calcium during adolescence, pregnancy, lactation and menopause. If this requirement is not met, it can lead to anemia and softening of bones. This becomes the forerunner of easy fatigue, backache and various kinds of aches and pains in the body which remain for life at times if not corrected well in time. The capability of the body to take food and assimilate is also reduced if a person does not eat adequately for a long time. Afterwards any time, if the concerned lady wants to increase quantity of meals taken, it becomes difficult because the extra bit of morsel taken now, becomes difficult to digest. Lack of fat due to dieting can cause menstrual disorders and even sterility. While talking about the adverse effects of dieting, I am not advocating obesity. But the healthy way to remain slim is physical work. Fatty foods like chocolates and cheese can be replaced by non fattening foods like fruits, vegetables and fish. The motto for a young lady should be to eat well and work hard physically. This will keep the body slim, trim, fresh and healthy, with no need for dieting. Contact: rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk