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Angela Conley

English 1201/Online

Professor Sharyn Hunter

Feb. 25, 2019

Dieting

Your self image is how someone feels about their body but how does it become

a negative self image? I believed dieting promotes a negative self image and

creates problems for future eating disorders. The Better Health Channel states that

poor body image is linked to dieting, eating disorders and over exercising. Also

dieting is a very profitable enterprise even though it can impact people negatively.

Chronic yo yo dieting can cause damage such as eating disorders and depression.

They’re are better ways to take care of our bodies! I can remember my mother

dieting and worrying about her weight. I grew up constantly thinking about being

on a diet and thinking to myself I’m fat even as early as 5th grade. I was in the
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generation of up and coming processed food and cooking became fast and easy.

Healthy food for our family really did not exist. Our family’s focus was never on

healthy food. So into my twenties and thirties I still never concentrated on healthy

food, just always yo yo dieting and always feeling bad about myself because I

always failed my diets. It wasn’t until my forties I started reading about healthy

eating and actually trying to take care of my body. I learned what foods can help

do that and which foods would hurt my body and mind. Ones continued state of

dieting or yo yo dieting can cause negative self esteem or negative body image.

Dieting is such an integrated part of my life but they’re so many diets out there and

other information in general concerning someone diet it’s hard to figure out what

to follow. Although evidence shows dieting can have a negative impact on self

esteem or body image people still diet everyday. They believe dieting is helping

them physically but don’t stop and think what it can do to them mentally.

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry provides research

project with evidence that dieting for females does promote body concerns or poor

self esteem. Their findings consisted of when having thoughts of dieting their
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body image and poor self esteem will increase. People on a daily are immersed in

diet advertisement of what to eat for each meal, dieting tips and social media

pictures of body images. This can lead to a negative inner dialogue such as “I’m so

fat”, which will lead to continued yo yo dieting and eventually will lead to poor

self image. Teenage years are very vulnerable they’re are not prepared for the

natural changes in there bodies attempts at dieting along with social media may

increase risk for poor self esteem. (Hellas,217) Evidence supports that childhood

obesity will later develop adulthood eating disorders such anorexia, bulimia, poor

and dieting habits in general which will lead to poor body image or poor self

esteem. (Hellas, 218)

The picture below depict the ages eating disorders affect what percentages are

male and half of Americans know a person with a disorder. Also, show the

percentage of people who die with this disease.

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Dieting is a voluntary intake of food with the goal of losing weight. Losing

weight can be correlated with behavior changes such as exercise and or changes in
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eating habits. There is consistency in defining self-induced emesis, and use of

laxatives and diet pill use as unhealthy or extreme dieting (Canadian Pediatric

Society, 2004), and as disordered eating if the behaviors were not sufficiently

severe to warrant a diagnosis of an eating disorder.” (Hellas, 220) Also,

researchers found a correlation between dieting and eating disorders that 84% of

participates have a history of childhood weight problems. Lastly, researchers found

participants who dieted had three times more likely to develop a eating disorders.

(Hellas, 225)

A relationship a person has with food goes past just the need to eat its emotional

linked to childhood memories, dates, family and friends. Grace Derocha from

Digital First Media states that from research even moderate dieting can lead to

eating disorders, depression and anxiety. Which will in turn lead to gaining back

their weight or even more. Although Crash dieting is still used by some and may

seem like a good idea at the time it can be a vicious cycle hurting oneself

physically and mentally.

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The picture above helps lead into the next phase of my topic. One myth states

dieting is a normal part of life well with all this research letting us know dieting is

not the answer to losing weight, what is the reason we are so inundated with

dieting propaganda. MONEY! According to Sarfan from The Journal of Behavior

Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry dieting cost the American people 33 billion

dollars a year. So is it any wondering the dieting industry continues to put out new
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diets for people to follow. How do we discover the true way to care for ourselves

both physically and mentally?

Baldwin writes from The Living Clearly Method instead of removing food add

new good foods to your diet. Keep decisions on food manageable and lay down a

good foundation. Also give yourself some space to make mistakes with your diet.

It’s best to stay away from fad or yo yo dieting such as green bean diet, no carbs,

only eat protein the list goes on and on.

The Five Big Ideas:

*Choose Quality

Eat lots of whole foods and fresh produce.

*Green You Plate

Eat fresh vegetable and fruits with every meal.

*Make Friends with Fat

Do not be afraid of good fats! The science is irrefutable!

*Sugar, Fixed

Can the sugary processed foods.

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*Nix the Tricky Snacks

This would be processed foods that are supposed to be good for you. Stay clear.

Drinking plenty of water is the baseline to start. It’s needed to clean our systems

out and it help you feel full. (Baldwin, 141-149)

A few more tips for staying on track say no to bread basket, use iceberg for

wraps, dressing on the side and ask for food to be cooked in olive oil.

Eating can cause such negatively in our live such as eating disorders, depression

and anxiety. It should be a goal from a young age or of parents to create a good

relationship with food. It’s a struggle especially with all those fad diets and

processed foods out there but it needs to be priority.

Exercise is vital to maintain a healthy weight. Supported by science 30 minutes

a day can improve stress, improve memory and help with sleep. (Baldwin, 208)

Easy 1 2 3

1. Cardio burns fat, conditions metabolism, strengthens the heart and

increases circulation

2. Yoga promotes mobility and alignment. Relax the nervous system

and counters stress

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3. Sculpting and toning muscles and ensures body balance (Baldwin,209)

In conclusion chronic or yo yo dieting can be detrimental to healthy

living. It can cause depression and eating disorders in a young age leading

into adulthood. Unforturnley, living clean and exercising is not a precise

science or an exact step by step process. By making a conscious decision to

eat clean, move and exercise everyday it will lead to more joy and

contentment in life leaving behind the depression and eating disorders.

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The picture above demonstrates what true health is ! Love for yourself,

healthy food and exercise.

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Angela Conley

English 1201-Online

Feb 16,2019

Professor Sharyn Hunter

Working Cited

Baldwin, Hilaria. ​The Living Clearly Method: 5 Principles for a Fit Body, Healthy

Mind & Joyful Life.​ Rodale, 2017.

“Body of Evidence Eating Disorders Are Not Only Confined to Females. It Seems

Boys May Be Just as Vulnerable as Girls When It Comes to Body Image and

Self-Esteem Issues.” Townsville Bulletin. EBSCOhost,

sinclair.ohionet.org:80/login?url= “Body of Evidence Eating Disorders Are Not

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Only Confined to Females. It Seems Boys May Be Just as Vulnerable as Girls

When It Comes to Body Image and Self-Esteem Issues.” Townsville Bulletin.

EBSCOhost,

sinclair.ohionet.org:80/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=tr

ue&db=nfh&AN=200605191303654617&site=ehost-live. Accessed 31 Jan. 2019.

Derocha, Grace, Digital First Media“Eating Disorders.” ​Taylor and Francis

Online,​ ​www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10640266.2017.1279905​.

Eating Disorder.​ 1 May 2012. “Eating Disorders .” ​Generation Wired​, May 2012,

advocateglobalhealth.wordpress.com/eating-disorders/.
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Hellas, Cena. “Association of a History of Childhood-Onset Obesity and Dieting

with Eating Disorders .” ​Eating Disorders,​ vol. 25, no. 3, 2017, pp. 216–229.

Ebscohost​, doi:Association of a history of childhood-onset obesity and dieting

with eating disorders .

Sarfan, Laurel D., et al. “Do Thoughts about Dieting Matter? Testing the

Relationship between Thoughts about Dieting, Body Shape Concerns, and

State Self-Esteem.” Journal of Behavior Therapy & Experimental

Psychiatry, vol. 62, Mar. 2019, pp. 7–14. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2018.08.005
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“Self-Image and Eating Disorders: A Mirror for the Heart.”

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