Putting Your Life at Stake for The Sake of Beauty!

By Sakini Mohd Said PETALING JAYA (Selangor), Sept 15 (Bernama) -- Situation 1: Masliana (not her real name), weighs around 40 kilogrammes and wants to maintain her weight. Fearing that eating rice will make her fat, this once-overweight girl started shying away from carbohydrate-rich food. Whenever she eats her staple food, her psychological stress kicks in prompting Masliana to head straight to her room to exercise till the time she is satisfied. Situation 2: Dreaming of becoming a model since a young age, Farina (not her real name) is obsessed with her appearance, always looking into the mirror and observing her body weight regularly, growing nervous when it rises even slightly. Though her 'weight gain' could be considered negligible, it is a serious matter for Farina. Fearing that she would become fat, she immediately starts skipping dinner on the pretext of not being hungry. Such scenarios and excuses are prevalent among working women and adolescent girls. They are ready to go to any lengths to preserve their dream figures - thin and lean with all the right curves. While there is nothing wrong with the desire to appear fabulous, many go overboard with their reasoning. Many appear to be obsessed with their appearance and weight. Why? Aren't they worried about the consequences of being overly obsessed with their looks at the expense of their health? If these scenarios and excuses are anything to go by, then good eating habits and a balanced diet are being sacrificed for the sake of beauty. I'M FAT! This obsession, often referred to as a 'body image' problem, is more prevalent in women than men. Initially they skip breakfast, then lunch and then dinner, while there are some women who literally survive on an apple a day. There is only one reason for this- they just want to look great! Most members of the fairer sex desire figure like those seen on models. Therefore, many are ready to do anything to achieve the much sought-after figures, never mind if they are to be achieved by surgery! Preoccupation with beauty, both in appearance and figure, is further exacerbated by what they see on television screens, fashion magazines and in the world without borders - the Internet. Beauty always refers to a slim figure and a beautiful face, with many failing to realise that the concept of beauty goes beyond these superficial parameters. OBESITY THE PROBLEM Other than the influence from the fashion and entertainment world, the fear of being obese also drives many to seek the ideal body shape, according to the President of the Nutrition Society of Malaysia, Dr Tee E Siong. The National Health and Morbidity Survey illustrated that there has been an increase in obesity among Malaysians from 14 per cent in 2006 to 15.1 per cent in 2011, and this has struck fear in the hearts of many who certainly don't want to be categorised as obese. "Speaking of obesity, I have to be cautious as I could easily be misunderstood. They are overcome by extreme fear to the extent that they don't want to eat, live on extreme diets, despite being thin," he said. RICE FATTENING In seeking the ideal figure, numerous baseless assumptions have been made with the counsel of friends or the Internet. One such fallacy is that rice should be avoided as it is rich in carbohydrate and could prove to be fattening. There is no truth in this assumption! In rebuking the assumption, Dr Tee went on to explain; "Rice will not make you fat. It depends upon the quantity that you eat. Taken in small or reasonable quantities, it will not make you fat." "And, as long as we remain active, the calories will be burnt." So, there is no reason to worry to the extent of stopping eating a particular type of food for good and in turn, lose the vital elements like vitamin B needed by the body," he said. Moreover, in the food pyramid, rice is at the bottom and therefore it should be taken in adequate quantities. DISTURBED DIET Many thin people have an illusion that they are overweight and go on extreme diets that cause eating disorders in the long term. Eating disorders have dangerous consequences and are often caused by a combination of factors - emotion, lack of self confidence and poor diet. There are different types of eating disorders, however. The most familiar include anorexia, nervosa and bulimia. Both conditions are the result of the extreme steps adopted in maintaining body weight. "There are women who stick to their normal diet but vomit or purge whatever they eat intentionally. This is known as bulimia." "There are also women who reduce food intake to the extreme-exercise to the extreme or avoid eating-and this is known as anorexia nervosa," he said. CAN END IN DEATH! Yet, just how many realise that neglecting a balanced diet has dangerous consequences? Without adequate nutrients, their health is at risk! "This is the problem. They see being thin is being beautiful and being healthy comes second. When they stop eating or vomit out what is eaten, they lose nutrients, minerals and even protein. "This is dangerous, because our body needs daily nutrients for growth, maintenance and replacement of old tissues. And for children it is vital for their growth," he said. Intake of adequate nutrition is also vital for adults. It enables the replacement of tissues and helps in carrying out daily routines, including thinking and working. One should also remember that malnutrition could lead to death in the long term, explained Dr Tee. THE ART OF LIVING HEALTHILY A healthy diet should be a part of daily life, complete with the nutrient and energy intake based on the food pyramid. "There are some who will only eat fruit or vegetables to avoid body weight issues. This is unhealthy. Never do away with breakfast, lunch or dinner using the excuse of a diet." On eating disorders, Dr Tee noted that early detection by parents or those around could serve as an effective intervention step. There are several ways to identify whether your daughter is suffering from eating disorders. Among others, warning signs include being obsessed with the body, watching body weight closely, exercising to the extremes, reduced food intake, the ability to withstand hunger, refusal to eat with the rest, moody demeanor, wearing baggy clothing, going straight to the bathroom after eating or losing body weight significantly within a short span of time. When such symptoms are present, it is good to visit a doctor. There is no use of chasing after a dream body figure, when your life itself could be at stake! -- BERNAMA