Recently, diets have become so commonplace that people have stopped thinking about other consequences besides losing weight. But excessive eating restrictions can lead to dangerous health problems.
The beauty standards that are now prevalent in society have created a cult of weight loss and diets that most people get hooked on without hesitation. In America alone , about 45 million people go on diets every year , that is, one in seven. The statistics in the world are not very different from the American ones, because almost every girl at least once in her life tried to adhere to some kind of nutritional system in the hope of getting closer to ideal forms.
When choosing a diet or food system for themselves, most people rely on the speed and scale of the results, but almost never analyze the effect on the internal state of the body and their eating habits.
Of course, light diets like Scandinavian, which is not considered a diet at all in America, or varied and complete food systems like vegetarianism or veganism, rarely lead to acutely negative consequences in most cases. But tough diets that promise instant and great results are often contributing to eating disorders.
What is RPP and who is exposed to it
Eating disorder ( Eating Disorder ) is a psychological disorder whose main symptom is unhealthy eating habits ( over- or undernourishment). Eating disorders happen for a variety of reasons, including genetics, brain biology, personality traits, cultural ideals, and more recently, diet.
Severe restriction of oneself in nutrition and great physical activity, which often accompany diets, slow down the metabolism. Over time, this can lead to “starvation” or, due to severe hunger, to breakdown and obesity.
Although the term “ food” appears in the name of the disease , eating disorders are not just about food. These are complex mental illnesses that often require medical and psychological intervention.
Everyone knows about the main eating disorders, and world nutrition statistics show that one fifth of the world’s population has weight problems, which are most often caused by disorders: 10.4% are overweight, 9.7% are underweight.
While there are many types of violations, the most famous, common and “readily available,” not least due to the power systems and their fashion, are the following:
1 Anorexia
People with anorexia believe they are overweight, even if it is already severely underweight. They can limit food intake or compensate for this with various methods of cleaning the body. The biggest fear of people with anorexia is getting better, and therefore this disorder begins with dieting.
2 Bulimia
People with bulimia often overeat uncontrollably and stop only when they feel painful satiety and discomfort. They then try to cleanse the body ( vomiting, fasting, laxatives, enemas) to compensate for the calories consumed and reduce intestinal discomfort. Like people with anorexia, people with bulimia are fearful of gaining weight despite its performance. In addition, this violation is also based on strict diets.
3 Compulsive overeating
People with this condition usually eat excessive amounts of food in relatively short periods of time and cannot control themselves while eating. However, they do not restrict their calorie intake or use cleansing methods to compensate for their overeating. And although at some point these people stop monitoring their weight, overeating can begin with a rigid diet and a breakdown from it.
How to Distinguish a Diet from an Eating Disorder
It is quite simple to recognize ECD in your loved ones or in yourself ( which is usually much more difficult), based on several factors that experts pay attention to in such cases .
- Symptoms Symptoms sought by specialists include diet restriction, overeating, inappropriate compensatory behavior(vomiting, laxative abuse), weight concerns, and the like.
- The frequency of manifestation. If someone overeats several times a year, this is not considered a violation, because this happens to almost everyone, at least on New Years and on their birthday. But if a person overeats 2-3 times a week, this already exceeds the norm and speaks of the need to consult an expert.
- Duration. It is not only how often the symptoms appear, but also how long they last. If a person could not control one overeating or did not want to eat for one day, this will not yet indicate a disorder. But if it lasts a long time or happens regularly, you should see a doctor.
- Negative influence. It is possible to speak safely about eating disorders only when food habits begin to interfere with the normal existence and functioning of the body, bring discomfort, pain or psychological suffering.
- There are no alternative explanations. If these symptoms can be easily explained by other psychological or medical conditions ( depression, toxicosis, stomach ailments), it is unlikely that we are talking about ERP. But if there is no other explanation, and the person has symptoms, he is most likely prone to the disorder.
However, as long as the diet does not cause discomfort, does not turn into an obsession and does not openly harm health (the deeper benefits and harms of some diets have not yet been proven), it can be assumed that eating disorders is not your story. But if the diet is long and very restrictive, people who follow it should periodically test themselves for the main symptoms of disorders on their own. Indeed, it is much easier to get rid of such diseases in the early stages.
If we talk about the advice of most nutritionists, nutritionists and doctors, the safest way to stick to a diet is constant dialogue with your body. After all, your body is a complex but wise system that knows exactly what suits it and what doesn’t. If the body constantly prompts you to break off the diet, it is better to change it to one on which your body will be more patient and calm.