While out to dinner with my female housemate, I was ready to indulge myself on a full meal after a long day of work and classes. After giving my lengthy order to our server, I was stunned to silence when my friend ordered a side salad, no dressing, and water. Suddenly my soup, cheeseburger, side of fries, and the hopes of a chocolate cake dessert seemed quite excessive. After questioning her usually healthy appetite and the fact the she doesn’t even like salads, she explained she is starting a diet. From there, our mostly one-sided conversation focused on my friend’s diet plans and weight-loss goals. After an hour of listening to her “two-meal-a-day-no-snacking-no-eating-after-seven-o’clock” rules, I causally cancelled my cake order and motioned for the check.
Over the next few days after our dinner, I found myself becoming more and more aware of my friends new-found eating (or lack of) habits. Opening our refrigerator was like advocating for some new fad diet; the shelves lined with diet coke, fat free milk, and enough Lean Cuisines to last through next semester. Each day I watched as my friend had a diet pill for breakfast, cereal bar for lunch, and a salad or other small meal for dinner. Not surprisingly, a new addition made its way into our bathroom in the form of a high-tech digital scale.
As my friend continued to obsess about her progress, her pitfalls, and her love-hate relationship with food, my concern grew and I was reminded of a magazine article I had read on the topic of disordered eating. After an unsuccessful search for the article, I decided to do some research online and was directed to an article on the MSNBC website. The article, “The Disordered Next Door,” revealed that while most women are not clinically diagnosed with an eating disorder, many suffer from what is known as disordered eating. The article explained that eating habits many women see as normal, such as dieting and skipping meals, are symptoms of the disorder. Alarmingly, 65 percent of women surveyed in the article are classified as disordered eaters. While disordered eaters are not at immediate risk of the dangers of anorexia or bulimia, they display unhealthy relationships with their food and bodies that can greatly impact physical and emotional health. This article seemed to encompass much of my friend’s recent actions and behaviors surrounding food and her body.
As I reflected more on what I had read, I realized that clues and signs of disordered eating are all around. I recalled past conversations and meals with other female friends, all who ordered salads and diet drinks. On the rare occasion where one splurged and actually ordered dessert, the conversation following was declarations of overeating and what could be done to cancel out the extra calories. I was surprised by the number of conversations I have had with female friends about food and dieting. Within my own group of friends, I can recall sharing dieting advice, venting our guilt about overeating, and trash-talking the tiniest of imperfections on our bodies. I had never realized it before, but disordered eating certainly was and had been present in my own life and the lives of many other women I know.
Today, as my friend continues her diet, I can’t help but wonder what has caused so many women to develop such an unhealthy relationship with food. To most, dieting for women is not out of the ordinary; it is the norm. I am sure our waiter at dinner was not surprised when my friend ordered only a salad, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the sales person who sold my friend her diet pills didn’t give it a second thought. It seems this type of behavior has become acceptable and at times expected of most women. The lingering question, however, is what in society has us thinking that the disordered is “normal?”
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7 comments:
The thought of people taking diet pills really alarms me. I know someone who actually died because of this 3 years ago. She was a freshman here and passed out while taking a shower. She had been off and on diets for several years and decided that diet pills were the next step. It is so sad and disturbing to know that something so tragic can happen just because someone is obsessed with her weight and wants to be thinner. Exercise and eat in moderation! Don't starve yourself or resort to drugs! There are healthy ways of staying in shape. It's also a shame that women feel the need to be so thin.
Although eating disorders and diets are usually associated with women, men still struggle with body image and staying in shape as well. I know a few guys that drink protein shakes and constantly work out to get in the shape they want to be to attract women. Why do we put ourselves through this torture? Why can't we just be healthy and accept that?
Brenda
The media's influence on how women perceive themselves has definitely led to this outcome of constant dieting. All female celebrities are pressured to be thin and that is what is demonstrated as the norm. I actually just read an article in Cosmopolitan that referred to this type of disordered eating. In the article Dr. Cynthia Bulik says that "Many young women think that if they keep their eating habits regulated, everything else will fall into place- if they fit into their skinny jeans they've achieved some order and perfection". Although Cosmopolitan addresses issues like this inside the magazine, they still have super thin celebrities like Jessica Simpson on the cover which further add to the problem of how women perceive themselves.
It is extremely alarming that so many girls and women feel the need to live up to this developed social norm of thinness and following the strict rules of dieting in order to get to this point. I truly believe that dieting has simply become a way of life for many women and seems to be the only outlet they take in order to reach the ideal body type, which in our country is ridiculously slim. Conversation of diet and "health foods" are everywhere in the media and we cannot escape them, so being exposed to these so called "health images" makes extreme dieting normal. However, what is so sad is that most of the time, this extreme dieting is not healthy and can even lead to obsessions about weight loss and even lead to eating disorders.
The media definitely comes into play here for the perception of body image for men and women. I, for one, do think I need to lose some weight, only because my BMI is around 25, which is "overweight" apparently, I have high cholesterol, high blood pressure runs in my family, and I want to have a healthier body. I know that if I begin better eating and exercise habits now, my body will be better in the future.
Your friend needs to get off those pills and her little plan. She is not getting enough nutrients in her body for it to function properly. If she is really serious about losing weight, the Weight Watchers Core Plan is amazing. She may not lose all the weight she wants at one time, but she can eat from a large selection of foods. She also needs to exercise- both cardio and weight training.
I think that this post is so relevant to all females, and maybe even men. But I know I can attest to having friends that constantly diet, and will confess that I have made promises to cut down on what I ate because I felt I could lose a few pounds here and there (although I couldn't get myself to because I love food that much, ha ha). But some girls don't have the self-esteem and ability to be who they are and I think that's sad. I think we can mainly put the blame of this on the media and it's constant reminding and obsession over being thin.
It is unbelievable how many people start random diets and want to become skinnier in as little time as possible. I'm sure more females have these types of dieting problems, but of course, some males also have these kinds of problems. The media particularly has a huge role on the females in todays society. Girls see these beautiful models everywhere, on TV, in magazines, on advertisements, and want to look just like them. Celebrities are so pressured into being thin that they, too, resort to anything and everythingg in order to "look good". These girls think that basically starving yourself is the way to go. But, in fact, it is very dangerous and can cause serious health problems. Everyone should just be happy the way they are, and if they want to get skinnier, do it the right way- exercise and stop eating McDonalds!
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