Is thin really in?

The complex of being fat is so widespread among youth that "being fat" itself is misunderstood and misused. Youngsters nowadays have intermingled the term, "healthy", with fat, obese, flabby, overweight, heavy, and are staying hungry to obtain the perfect figure, again mistaken for being skinny, thin, bony and skeletal. There is a "thin at all cost" movement taking over youth that is having hazardous effects on their health.Being extremely thin can play havoc with your health and cause many diseases. Starving yourself can lead to arthritis, broken bones, depression, miscarriages, and the list goes on.
The fashion industry has gone too far in pushing a thin image that women and young girls are trying to emulate. There are many brands which show the so-called benefits of a lesser size. Slimming belts, machines and pills are all over advertisements, which are lead by a popular figure and are highly deceiving to the audience. Young women are made to believe that they have to be super-thin to be attractive.
Just two coffees a day for one week'
"I was always the healthier one among my friends. Once I got into my late teens, it suddenly hit me that I was fat. It had a great impact on my esteem and confidence. I was having trouble making friends. When exercise did not work, I stopped eating. I just consumed two coffees a day for a week. It not only took a toll on my health, but I also felt moody and weak. My eyes would hurt at the slightest exposure. Those days were horrific."
21-year-old woman | Sector 9 resident
Took slimming pills; felt agitated, weak'
"I saw these slimming pills on the internet and ordered them. They showed transformation of fat people, showing so much change in their body in just a month. I started taking them regularly. After a while though there was no effect on my weight. I started to feel agitated, weak and tired most of the times. It caused an imbalance in my hormonal system as well."
23-year-old woman | Sector 36
�Started to lose weight, hair, attitude'
"I have always been overweight. I tried all sorts of things. Exercise, diet, yoga, thinning oil. After a while I stopped eating. I started losing weight. I was very happy. But soon along with my weight, I started to lose my hair, chirpy attitude and adventurous spirit. People said I started to look old. My confidence and self esteem broke down. I gave up punishing myself and started to accept and love myself as I was."
21-year-old woman | Sector 27 resident
Common disorders
Most common eating disorders that are widespread today are anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating. Many people who suffer from them may not show any external symptoms but suffer from weakness, mood disorders and suicidal tendencies. Starving yourself could also lead to amenorrhea, dry and cracking skin, muscular weakness, increased heart rate, brittle fingernails and reduced body temperature.
Experts suggest
You need to love your body. For the world to accept you the way you are, you first need to accept yourself. If you feel that you are obese, there are better ways of controlling your weight. Whether it is exercise or yoga, anything is better than disrespecting your body through starvation. Respect and love your body.
"It's a disorder where you lose weight and fear becoming fat. It's loss of appetite and because of emotional reasons. A person has distorted body image and they look into the mirror and don't see themselves as thin. Either they continue to see themselves as fat or at an attractive weight," says PGI clinical psychology professor Adarsh Kohli. "When asked on a questionnaire, they say I feel that I am fat or my buttocks are too big. They draw picture of themselves as obese or healthy," Kohli adds.
Treatment
Immediate goal is to gain weight by behavioural techniques and not end up with medical complications
Hospitalisation and intravenous feeding may be required
Psychotherapy and family therapy is also the other mode of treatment to tackle deep-seated conflicts