The thin line between dieting and an eating disorder
In this day and age, dieting has become far too common and normalized. The problemis that eating disorders mainly start with innocent dieting. What is the difference between the two? When on a diet, you decide to eat less food or only particular kinds of food to lose weight or live healthier. On the other hand, eating disorders are complex and potentially life-threatening mental illnesses defined by disturbances in behaviours, thoughts and attitudes toward food, eating, and body weight.
I believe, the problem is not that people go on a diet to lose weight or to lead a healthier lifestyle, it is that people are not careful and quickly become obsessed with their eating habits, which leads to all kinds of disorders. As an adolescent woman who encounters this issue everywhere, among peers, on social networks, in TV series and films, I would like to warn people to be careful when they decide to diet and not to be burdened by the standards set by society.
The group that is most commonly affected are women, more specifically, young women and teenagers. The current beauty standards are unrealistic, but when you are young and naive, you do not know better. You think people will more likely accept you if you look like models and influencers. That is probably why so many adolescent girls start dieting and become obsessed with their eating habits and weight. This is not only a girls’ problem, boys experience it too and, in my opinion, it is not talked about enough.
Groups that are also prone to develop eating disorders from special diets are professional athletes and dancers. For example, ballerinas are expected to look skinny, petite and fragile. It is quite common for ballerinas to stick to a certain diet or go as far as not eating to maintain a slim figure often developing an eating disorder.
The beauty and fashion industry seem to be responsible for the so-called “diet culture” and disordered eating. Just because models and fashion influencers set the impossible-to-reach beauty standards, it does not mean they are not affected by them. These individuals experience the same pressure and sometimes their jobs depend on that extra kilogram of weight. A lot of them have also been asked to lose or gain weight or change their appearance completely to get a certain job. I believe that most models have had or still have an eating disorder because of their job, which is deeply concerning. If the people who are the beauty standard have to starve themselves to fit, how are the rest of us supposed to do it?
In closing, I want to stress that I do not think that diets are bad or that we should not watch what we eat. We have to be careful not to become obsessed with what we eat. Eating disorders severely damage your mental health and can also lead to complications, hospital admission or death. It is crucial that if you suspect to have an eating disorder, make sure to see a healthcare professional before it is too late. We must remember that the numbers on the scales do not define us. All that matters is that you are happy and healthy. So, be careful while dieting and do not cross the line.