Diets pose threats to health, self-esteem
Shannon Johnson
Issue date: 3/16/10 Section: Opinion
Here's a secret about me I've never tried dieting and I don't intend to.
To prove my point, I made brownies the other night as a treat to myself for the excessive studying I had endured throughout the week. After a brownie or two, I saran-wrapped the pan and went on my way. However, my roommate was a different story. She came along and spotted the chocolate-filled treat and proceeded to take a brownie from the pan, take one miniscule bite, chew it up, and then spit the remnants into the sink. Her reasoning? It would ruin her diet.
I believe diets happen when people become so unhappy with their physical appearance that they will do nearly anything to change it. This is completely understandable. We all go to certain extremes at one time or another to fix things about ourselves we are not especially fond of. Those attempts could be considered goals or aspirations. It's when those wishes turn into obsession that a problem occurs.
America is obsessed with dieting, and it is quickly consuming our nation. I bet three out of four students could name a friend or family member of theirs who religiously follows a dieting plan. In my case, it's the roommate who insists on smelling my newly-baked cookies rather than tasting one. While I admire the commitment and allegiance she has to her body, I cannot imagine living my life miserably looking on as others ate my favorite foods.
Friends swear to me that diets help you lose weight. Well, that's no news to me. But what if I told you that dieting will help you lose those pesky pounds, but eventually all your weight will return, plus some. On top of that you might just find yourself fighting diabetes, cardiovascular disease, heart attacks or altered immune functions on top of the extra pounds.
According to an article called "Dieting does not work, researchers report" on April 4, 2007, from http://www.physorg.com/news94906931.html, "People on diets typically lose 5 to 10 percent of their starting weight in the first six months. However, at least one-third to two-thirds of people on diets regain more weight than they lost within four or five years, and the true number may well be significantly higher."
To prove my point, I made brownies the other night as a treat to myself for the excessive studying I had endured throughout the week. After a brownie or two, I saran-wrapped the pan and went on my way. However, my roommate was a different story. She came along and spotted the chocolate-filled treat and proceeded to take a brownie from the pan, take one miniscule bite, chew it up, and then spit the remnants into the sink. Her reasoning? It would ruin her diet.
I believe diets happen when people become so unhappy with their physical appearance that they will do nearly anything to change it. This is completely understandable. We all go to certain extremes at one time or another to fix things about ourselves we are not especially fond of. Those attempts could be considered goals or aspirations. It's when those wishes turn into obsession that a problem occurs.
America is obsessed with dieting, and it is quickly consuming our nation. I bet three out of four students could name a friend or family member of theirs who religiously follows a dieting plan. In my case, it's the roommate who insists on smelling my newly-baked cookies rather than tasting one. While I admire the commitment and allegiance she has to her body, I cannot imagine living my life miserably looking on as others ate my favorite foods.
Friends swear to me that diets help you lose weight. Well, that's no news to me. But what if I told you that dieting will help you lose those pesky pounds, but eventually all your weight will return, plus some. On top of that you might just find yourself fighting diabetes, cardiovascular disease, heart attacks or altered immune functions on top of the extra pounds.
According to an article called "Dieting does not work, researchers report" on April 4, 2007, from http://www.physorg.com/news94906931.html, "People on diets typically lose 5 to 10 percent of their starting weight in the first six months. However, at least one-third to two-thirds of people on diets regain more weight than they lost within four or five years, and the true number may well be significantly higher."
Be the first to comment on this story