SaraDahanRoxin

PaigeWallace
ENC2135
22February2016
Dieting,WeightLossdoneIncorrectly
Atanygiventime,billionsofadultsandyouthintheWesternWorldattempt
someformofweightlossdieting.(Rosin)Tosome,thisisshockingthatmanyaround
usfaceissueswithourbodyimage.Butwiththeadventofsocialmedia,theissueofself
bodyimagehasonlyworsenedtothepointofforcingmanywomentonolongerfeel
comfortablewiththemselves.Becauseofthisissueithasleadtoalargefactionofwomen
pursuingunhealthyweightlosshabitsandchangingtheirlifestylesaccordingly.Oneof
theextremitiesthatsomepeoplechoosetotake,andnotjustwomen,isforcing
themselvestobecomeanorexicorevenbulimic.
Historically,anorexianervosaandbulimianervosamayhaveexistedinsome
formsincethedaysofstarvingsaintsandRomanvomitoriums.(Michel,Wilard)
Contrarytopopularbeliefeatingdisordershavebeenaroundmuchlongerthenmosthave
thought.Thedifferenceisthatpeoplearenowrecognizingthedangersthatcomeabout
duetothesediseases.Eatingdisordershavebecomeamajorconcerninmodernday
societyandareinfactamajorhealthfear.Socialmediaandcelebrityendorsementshave
onlyreinforcedtherecurringinsecuritiesofwomenandarguably,menworldwide.But
somehavetakentheinitiativetonolongerconformtothatsocialnormandgoagainst

whatsocietyhasalwaysbaseditselfoffof,whichistheunrealisticnatureofhavingtobe
extremelythin.
Womenareconstantlysubjectedtotheflawlessnatureofcelebritiesandmodels
alikeandaremadetobelievethatonemustlooklikethatinordertolookandfeel
beautiful.Butrather,oneshouldfeelcontentwiththemselvesiftheyfeelcomfortable
withtheirappearance.Itisobviousthatweightlossdietinginvolvesconsiderable
efforts:changingeatinghabits,settingupboundariesonhowmuchoneeats,controlling
thedesiretoeathighcaloriefoods,andsoforth.(Markey)Justbecauseitmayseem
impossibleatthestartdoesnotmeanthatitis.Onceapersonhasagoalinmind,theyare
morethancapableofachievingtheiraspirations.Ittakestime,dedicationandmost
importantlyasupportsystembutwhenguidedproperly,apersoncanachievebeyond
theirwildestdreamswhattheyoriginallybelievedtohavethoughtwasnighon
impossible.
Themostcommoneatingdisordersthataretreatedandclassifiedareanorexiaand
bulimia.Anorexiaisclassifiedasaneatingdisordercharacterizedbyanabnormallylow
bodyweight,intensefearofgainingweightandadistortedperceptionofbodyweight.
Peoplewithanorexiaplaceahighvalueoncontrollingtheirweightandshape,using
extremeeffortsthattendtosignificantlyinterferewithactivitiesintheirlives.(Mayo
ClinicStaff)PeoplewhodevelopAnorexiatendtoforcethemselvesintothedisease
becausetheyareextremelyunhappywiththeirappearanceandfeelthatthisistheonly
waytoescapeandgetresults.(MayoClinicStaff)Alsoarecentstudyhasshowedthat
35%60%ofwomenarechronicdieters(Polivy&Herman,2007).Bulimiacanbe

classifiedby: a serious,potentiallylifethreateningeatingdisordercharacterizedbya
cycleofbingeingandcompensatorybehaviorssuchasselfinducedvomitingdesignedto
undoorcompensatefortheeffectsofbingeeating.(NEDAStaff) Forapersonwiththis
disease,theywillexperiencefrequentepisodesofconsumingverylargeamountsoffood
followedbybehaviorstopreventweightgain,suchasselfinducedvomiting.(Yin)This
constantfeelingoffearingthatoneisoutofcontrolduringthebingeeatingepisodes
causesmanypsychologicalissues.Oneofthemajorsignsofthisdiseaseincludes,self
esteemissuesthatareoverlyrelatedtobodyimageandforcesomeonetobecomeoverly
fixated.(Hutchinson)Alsooneofthekeystotreatingthisdiseaseproperlyisadmitting
anddiscoveringtheissueassoonaspossiblebecausethatallowsforabetterchanceof
recovery.(NEDAStaff)Therefore,itisimperativethatpeoplebeawareofsomeofthe
warningsignsofbulimianervosabecauseitdoesoccurmoreoftenthanpeoplewould
liketoadmit.(NEDAStaff)Alsooverthepasttenyearswiththeincreaseintheamount
ofcasesofeatingdisorders,ithasbecomemostprevalentlytreatedinmostly
Westernizedcountries.(Michel,Wilard)
Waysinwhichtocombatunhealthyweightloss,arehealthieralternativesto
starvationdiets,crashdiets,pillsandmoreareavailabletoallwomenandpeoplealike.
Buttheproblemis,thatmostarejusttooembarrassedornotproperlyinformedinorder
torealizethis.Althoughmostcelebritiesalikeendorseunhealthywaystogoaboutweight
loss,oneclusterofcelebritiespromoteweightlossinahealthymanner,throughexercise
andahealthylifestylewhichbeginswitheatingproperly.Manycelebritiesnowadays
promoteahealthywayoflife,forinstancesomeinclude:JenniferLaurence,Nina

Dobrev,TaylorSwift,Rhiannaandmanymore.Thewaysinwhichtheygoaboutthisis
byworkingoutandeatingproperlysoyoucanloseweightoveramoreconsistentperiod
oftimeandshockinglykeeptheweightoff.Whattheyhavedonedifferentlyisrealized
thatstarvationisnotthekeytoweightloss,butitishealthyeating,workingoutand
sleepingwellregularly.Whatmanypeoplearenowrealizingisthatitdoeshavetobean
unaffordabletaskeither,becausemostarewearyofthecostthattheywillhavetoincur
whenattemptingtobecomehealthy.But,ifyoubudgetproperlyyoucanactuallymakeit
morecosteffectivetobehealthyandlivethissortoflifestyle.
Oneofthecommonissuesthatwomenalikefacewhenattemptingtogoabout
weightloss,ishavingtosurrendertheirpoorfoodchoicesforhealthieroptions.But,what
mostdonotrealizeisthatyoucanhavethebestofbothworlds,youcaneatsomeofyour
favoritesbut,itjusthasbeinmoderation.TheKardashians,havebeguntoshowcasetheir
healthylifestylesontelevisionasopposedtosuggestingdietarypills,orotherunhealthy
alternatives.Buttheydohoweverendorsedetoxteasandwaisttrainersinordertomake
moremoney,butwhenitcomestopersonalpreferencetheyusehealthyhabits.Rather,
theygoonfamilyhikesaroundLosAngeles,goboxing,gothegymandeathealthy.
Theirtelevisionserieshasreachedabroadaudienceandencouragedmanypeopletolive
healthierlifestylesandbecomemorephysicallyactive.
Mostofusdontrealizethisbutmanycelebritiesareordinarypeoplewhoface
similarifnotthesameissuesthatmanyofusfacewhenitcomestodietingandweight
insecurities.DemiLovato,atalentedsingerandactress,battledaneatingdisorderand
wasmorethanwillingtospeakoutaboutherstrugglesafterwards.Shespokeoutand

discussedhowsheusedtofeelashamedtobephotographed,wouldspeaknegatively
aboutherbodyimage,alwayshavetoweartospanxunderdressesbecauseshewas
convincedthatshelookedfatwhenrealityshewasemaciatedtothepointofbeingable
toseeherribcages.(Karlin)
Itisfascinating;whenapersontakesamomenttostopandviewsocialmediafor
thesolepurposeofdiscoveringhowmuchitisbiastowardswomen,andthenegative
portrayalofwomensbodiesandappearance.Spendanhourorsowatchingtelevisionor
checkingvariousformsofsocialmediaandyouwillfindthatwhatwethinkispossible
forwomeninordertoprogressisratherhardtoreinforcewheneverythingaroundusis
showingtheoppositeeffect.WhyisitthatmostofoursocietyhasnofaithinWomens
abilitytomaintainweightloss,loseweightinahealthymannerorevenfeel/look
beautifulwhensheisnotastarvedmodel?Popularmediaalikefixatesontheconceptsof
negativeorlimitingaspectsofwomen,whichincludeapowerfulscrutinyofand
emphasisontheirlooksandfocusingonhowitisdifficulttobalancetheirlifeandwork
schedule,howmaliciousanddemeaningtheycanbetoeachother,orevenhowtheyll
throweachotherunderthebusinordertorisetothetoptobenefitthemselves.Ithas,and
alwayswillbeaboutcomingoutontop.But,thefearoflookingandbehavingincertain
meansisdeeplyingrainedintoourcivilization.Itisofteneasytooverseetheinfluence
thatsocietyandourpersonalbackgroundshaveonhowwefeelaboutourbodiesand
ourselves.ButafterwatchingTV,readingmagazines,newspapers,orevensearchingon
theInternetithasbecomemoreapparentthatallweseeareairbrushedimagesofperfect
bodiesofwomen.Themessagesthatthemediaconveystowomenaboutthinness,

dieting,andbeautytellsordinarywomenthattheyarealwaysinnecessityof
adjustment,andthatthefemalebodyisanobjecttobeachieved.
Someofthecommonalternativesavailabletopeoplewhoaretobreakfreefrom
theordinarycrashorfaddietsincludetheWeightWatchersprogramwhichencourages
weightlossbutinahealthymanner.Apersonofanyage,andsizecanparticipateand
loseweightinareasonableamountoftime.Theprogramfocusesmostlyonbuilding
healthyhabitsfortherestofoneslife,itisbasedonapointssystemthatisgeared
towardsapersonsageandweight,alsohowmuchtheywouldliketolose.Alsoevery
timeyouhitamilestoneinyourindividualizedprogram,youreceiveareward,inorderto
continuemotivatingyoutoreachyourfinalgoal.Thepointsystemisuniquetothis
programbecauseyougainrewards,anditisbasedonpositivereinforcementbecause
theyrealizedthatisthemostsuccessfulwaytogoaboutanyweightlossprogram.
Personally,Ihaveexperiencedamultitudeofbodyweightissuesandinsecurities.
Fromvisitingnumerouspsychiatrists,variousdietingprograms,toresearchingevery
quickfixdietplanthatIcouldfindontheinternet,nothingseemedtowork.Thatis
whenIcontemplatedmakingmyselfeitherthrowuporjustnoteat,butIknewbothwere
unrealisticandwouldjustcausemoredamage.ThatiswhenIwenttomyMomfor
support,andshewasabletohelpmethroughtheinsecuritiesandhelpmegrowthrough
whatmostthoughtwasaphase.Unfortunately,itwasnotaphase,butratheraconstant
insecuritythatwasatthebackofmymindconstantlyremindingmethatIwouldneverbe
goodenoughorfeelprettyorsecureaboutmyappearance.Ithenbeganamorehealthful
waytoloseweight,becauseIknewtheonlypersonwhocouldmakeadifferenceinmy

weightchallengewas,myself.Althoughittookalmosttwoyears,manyWeightWatchers
sessions,workouts,changingthewayIateandchangingmylifestyleasawhole,Iam
stillonthejourneytoreachmyultimategoalweight.IknowformyselfthatthedayI
reachmygoalIwillfinallyachievetruehappinesswithinmyself,andwhenthatday
comesIwillknowthatIdiditforthemostpartonmyown.
Afterapersonhaslosttheweight,thelifestyleafterwardsisthemostdifficult
part.Becausethatiswhenapersonhastobecomedisciplinedwhenitpertainstofood,
workingoutandlivingahealthierlife,whichforsomecanbecomeastrenuousprocess.
Dietaryadherenceratesarelowandlongtermsuccessislimited.(Rosin)Itishardest
tokeepthesuccessofweightlossbecauseafteryouhavegonethroughtheprocess,itis
allaboutmaintainingthenewlifestylethatonehascreatedforoneself.Whatmostdonot
thinkaboutwhentheyarefacingdifficultiesduringthisratherstrenuousperiodoftimeis
thatthisisthetimetoprovetoyourselfthatyouhavecomethisfarandyoujusthaveto
continuepositivelyreinforcingthegoodhabitsandbehaviorsthathadpreviously
motivatedyoutosucceed.
Although,itishardformanyofustocometotermswith,manypeoplenowadays
havebecomevictimsofeatingdisordersandtherearehealthieralternativestoweight
loss.Althoughmanychoosetotaketheconvenientwayofgoingaboutweightloss
becausetheyarenotfullyeducatedonthetopic,manyifnotallofushavethebasic
knowledgetoknowthattherearesimpler,ifnot,bettermethods.Weightlossisdifficult
toachieve;however,maintainingtheachievedlowerweightpresentsanevengreater
challenge.(LpezGuimer)