Dying to be Thin

In the desire to look slim and beautiful, many young women today succumb to dieting which sadly is raising a generation of unhealthy youths.

by SUMITRA RAI

FROM ISSUE # 161 (May 2009) | IN THIS ISSUE
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Even though many forms of exercises have been introduced to reduce weight and stay healthy, a large chunk of the Nepali population still take the dieting route. Staying hungry, vomiting after eating or taking laxative pills all come under this route, the trend of which is increasing at an alarming rate in Nepal. Research shows that instead of losing weight, dieting causes a number of physical and psychological problems. Once a lifestyle limited to models and those involved in the glamour field, dieting has now started to spread its root in society. Most of this is a result of a media that draws a stereotype of what kind of body shape and weight is beautiful.

Eleventh grader Lalita Rai from Dharan has been dieting for the past five months. Her daily food intake includes a light lunch and a glass of juice for dinner, a diet that sent her to a hospital about a month back. "I was bedridden for a week," says Lalita who was prescribed vitamins for her weakness. Yet that hasn't stopped her from dieting as according to her dieting is 'the' way to loose weight. She wants a body like that of Kareena Kapoors and is presently elated that she weighs 53 kg after losing 10kg in a matter of two months.

Breeding grounds for diseases
Beautician Binu Limbu from Dharan recently stopped dieting after a year of surviving only on tea, biscuits and salad because she fell sick. Her intense dieting dropped her unconscious and she had to be taken to the hospital where she came to her senses only after two bottles of saline water. "While I was dieting I often didn't recognise people, it affected my menstruation cycle and I had hallucination about people talking to me" remembers Binu. Like in most cases her family was oblivious to her eating habits but now her mom keeps a strict check on her diet.

On the other hand, actress Saujanya Subba survived on instant noodles for 29 days, denying herself rice because she noticed an insect in it. "It was similar to dieting even though that thought hadn't even crossed my mind at the time," she says. These days she fasts every Friday for self-satisfaction and her health, eating only fruits and milk.

Similarly, Pranisha Rai, a 12th grader at Public Higher Secondary School of Dharan, fasts twice a week along with monthly festivals to lose weight. "Fasting kills two birds with one stone as it gives self-satisfaction with control over my carvings and also conceals the fact that I am dieting. As a result I was able to fast for the months of Shrawan and Magh last year despite my family's disapproval," she reasons.

Ill Effects of dieting
"In order to keep itself healthy, the body needs daily doses of nutrients. The lack of nutrients can make the body prone to gastritis and causes difficulty in movement, laziness and weakness. It also affects growth and results in irregular menstruation among women," says LN Joshi, a cardiologist at Om Hospital and Research Centre. "One needs 1800- 2000 calories a day to stay healthy and careless or unmonitored dieting can be very dangerous," he adds. Excessive dieting could lead to serious eating disorders such as anorexia, often causing death in the long run.

But things are slowly changing, according to Dr Surendraraj Bhandari, a physician at the B P Koirala Institute of Medical Sciences, Dharan; the number of women consulting a doctor before starting to diet is rising, which can be seen as a good sign. But he also reveals that even though an exact number for dieting related illnesses aren't available, the number of patients admitted to the hospital after taking laxatives to lose weight is on the rise. "They are ashamed of admitting it but it is obvious when tests are performed on them," he says. Those affected by excessive dieting (mostly women) should be given psychotherapy to help overcome the negative body image they have in their mind. 

Skipping a meal
"On a daily basis, the body needs a minimum total of 1650 calories worth of carbohydrates, 40 grams of protein, 40-60 grams fat, approximately 750 grams vitamin and 20-30 micro grams of minerals," informs Dr Joshi. "Even if we skip a meal in a day it could be considered as dieting," he adds. But model Richa Ghimire begs to differ, she says, "I don't think eating just one meal a day is dieting." She only eats lunch and sticks to a cup of coffee or a glass of water for dinner, occasionally eating fish for dinner in order to consume the required calories.

Eat Right
A healthy diet should include plenty of fruit and vegetables, wholegrain starchy food such as rice, bread, pasta and potatoes, protein rich foods as meat, fish, eggs and pulses and milk and dairy foods and small amount of high fat, salt and sugar.