Two issues related to weight coexist in our society. The obesity epidemic, for one. The obsession with thinness, on the other.
If we know and measure more often the consequences of obesity, the obsession with thinness also threatens the he alth of many women… and young girls.
The dark side of the weight problem
About 57% of adults and 26% of children in Quebec are overweight. This is a considerable increase over 25 years. The collective concern about this trend is justified when we know that overweight and obesity increase the risk of suffering from several diseases: hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, etc. However, this does not mean that each individual should develop a personal concern with their weight!
However, according to an Ipsos Reid survey, 73% of Quebec women want to lose weight and 62% feel social pressure to stay thin or to lose weight. This source also reveals that 50% of women of normal weight, and even 21% of those below their he althy weight, want to lose weight. Another disturbing fact: 70% of teenage girls make repeated efforts to control or lose weight. The saddest thing isthat a third of 9-year-old girls have already tried to lose weight.
The media, advertising, fashion, and the entertainment industry help create beauty standards that feature a very slim, even lean, female body. The quest for thinness becomes a question of appearance rather than he alth. When we are more interested in the effect of foods on our weight than in their content of essential nutrients for the proper functioning of our body, there is a problem.
The perverse effect of diets
For your body, starting a weight loss diet is not trivial. He interprets food restrictions as a danger, and he defends himself as best he can. Among other things, it protects its fat stores and it uses the muscles as fuel to provide energy. This loss of muscle mass is accompanied by a loss of water, and it causes a drop in basal metabolism. In other words, the body spends less energy to perform its vital functions. A loss as small as half a kilo of muscle is enough to slow down the basic metabolism, which certain draconian diets manage to do in a short time. When you go back to eating as before, your body, which fears having to face another famine, takes the opportunity to stock up. This is how you risk regaining the lost weight, and even more. It is also sometimes the beginning of the diet w altz and the so-called “yo-yo” phenomenon: weight loss, weight gain – weight loss, even more marked weight gain,etc.
Forbidden Fruit
It is well known that prohibitions fuel desire. The many restrictions and prohibitions imposed by diets maintain and exacerbate your desire to eat these foods. And some of these occupy your thoughts and end up obsessing you, so that when you "give in", the rage gets out of control! Starving yourself, even when you're hungry, can cause you to develop a negative and unhe althy relationship with food. Farewell, the pleasure of eating…
Like mother, like daughter
As a parent, your actions, your attitudes and your words have a great influence on your children. Several studies show that girls whose mothers impose dietary restrictions or who eat compulsively are more likely to adopt the same behaviors. Children are sensitive to the messages conveyed, directly or indirectly, by a parent who attaches great importance to appearance and who, moreover, is dissatisfied with his own.
Some Clues to a Negative Body Image
- You weigh yourself weekly (or more often).
- You would like to wear a size or two less.
- You exercise out of necessity, not for pleasure.
- Your goal when you exercise is to burn calories.
- You think about food very often.
- You feel guilty when you eat sweets, pastries, etc.treats.
- You are dissatisfied with your body.
Aim for he alth
When you are really overweight, you don't have to lose a lot of weight to get benefits. A weight loss of 5 to 10% of the initial weight is generally sufficient to improve he alth. And, ladies, know that your curves in the hips, thighs and buttocks are not the ones that pose the greatest risk to your he alth! The accumulation of weight in the abdomen is a much higher he alth risk. In addition, obesity-related diseases are the same as found in sedentary people, regardless of weight. This implies that the practice of physical activity reduces the risk of chronic diseases attributable to obesity (type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers), whether one is obese or not. So, by focusing on he alth rather than weight, we win all the way!
Really overweight?
To find out if your excess weight poses a risk to your he alth, you can calculate your BMI and measure your waist circumference. Here is the classification of he alth risk according to these two parameters.
| Lower Risk | Increased Risk | High Risk | |
| IMC | 18, 5 to 24, 9 | 25 to 30 | over 30 |
| Waist circumference – women | under 80cm (31.5 in) | 80-88 cm (31.5-34.5 in) | more than 88 cm (34.5 in) |
| Waist circumference – male | less than 94 cm (37.0 in) | 94-102 cm (37-40 in) | more than 102 cm (40 in) |
Reminder
- If you are overweight or obese, set a weight loss goal of no more than 10% of your starting weight.
- Consult a nutritionist for personalized advice and adopt a balanced approach.
- Weight loss should not exceed more than 1-2 lbs (0.5-1 kg) per week
- Resist the lure of “miracle” weight loss products, powders and other recipes.
Make way for body diversity
On May 6 every year, celebrate International No Diet Day. This day is observed every year in many countries including England, France, the United States, Australia, Norway, South Africa and New Zealand. In Quebec, the organization ÉquiLibre has challenged itself to make this day known to the population. This year's theme highlights the pleasure of eating without guilt. Many activities are planned across the province.
