Each One of Us Loves Good Diet

 

Obesity is a growing epidemic in the world due to the increasingly sedentary lifestyle of the average citizen. But while dieting plans promise the moon they often do more harm than good. From tapeworm to cotton balls people have tried the most ridiculous of fads over the past century. Anorexia and Bulimia are entering the daily lexicon. The current measures to judge fitness, like the BMI, are not really trustworthy. A fulfilling life needs a wholesome diet.

Why dieting doesn’t really work?

Think back to the last time that you went on a diet. Maybe it was several years ago. Maybe it was right before the summer. Maybe you’re thinking of starting a new one on Monday! But whenever the last time was that you tried to lose weight permanently through restricting your calories and upping your fitness routine, ask yourself: Did it work?

Did you lose weight initially, and then fall off the bandwagon and gain it all back again? Did it actually work? Or did it kind of work? Did you lose weight permanently? Was the practice sustainable? Did you feel satisfied and fulfilled? The answers are probably not to your liking.

The fact is, our bodies simply aren’t made to sustain long-term significant weight loss because, more often than not, it’s not in our best interests. Dieting goes against the tendencies and needs that our bodies have developed over centuries of evolution.

Weight loss through dieting is temporary: The vast majority of people who lose weight through dieting end up regaining all the weight — it’s not just you. As many as 60% of those gain back more weight than they lost.

Dieting trains your brain to make food harder to resist: It’s a survival mechanism. We need to eat to live — calories are converted into energy, and we exist off that energy. Without it, our bodies start to shut down. So when food is in short supply, hormones kick in that are designed to make sure you eat. Those hormones also make food taste better. The end result is a double whammy that makes food much harder to ignore. Remember thinking, rather philosophically, during your dieting plan that the most important need in life is to be happy (therefore eat what you want)? Now you know why that thought came.

Dieting messes with your hunger and satisfaction cues: Similarly, weight loss through dieting causes the hormones that are responsible for helping you feel full to drop. At the same time, it causes the hormones that make you feel hungry to increase — yet another double whammy. It’s your body’s way of ensuring its survival. Because it doesn’t know that food is scarce because you’re restricting it on purpose, it thinks it is facing a famine. Your body thinks it’s helping you by gaining weight — so that the next time you’re faced with a famine, you’ll have enough fat stored to get you through it. You see, nature has designed you to survive famines.

Dieting causes emotional overeating, leading to dependence on food to manage stress: Because our bodies are complex, delicate miniature ecosystems, disruptions in some hormone create disruptions in others. Eating a low-calorie diet can actually increase the levels of cortisol in our bodies — and that’s the hormone related to stress. This might actually lead us to eat more by setting up a reward system in our brain. This can also lead to eating disorders such as binge eating disorder.

Dieting causes your metabolism to slow down: That means that any calories you do consume are used more efficiently. This makes it not only harder to lose weight, but much easier to gain it back. And it’s gained back primarily as fat — which simply isn’t most folks’ goal with a diet in the first place.

Diets are often missing important nutrients that are essential to health: Miss out on these nutrients too long — including on many popular diet programs that you may think are safe — and you’ll likely find yourself less than healthy. This can also cause weight gain — it may have nothing to do with calories, but everything to do with the body’s attempt to take care of itself by getting the vitamins and minerals that it needs. Sometimes the body controls you, not the other way round.

Instead, we should remember that there’s no simple secret to losing weight. Achieving sustained weight loss and maintenance requires reducing your calorie intake and increasing your activity level – in a sustainable way. Being healthy is a lifestyle, not a goal to be achieved by punishing yourself for a few months.

When did fad diets evolve?

“Of all the parasites that affect humanity I do not know of, nor can I imagine, any more distressing than that of Obesity.” Thus started William Banting’s “Letter on Corpulence,” likely the first diet book ever published. Banting, an overweight undertaker, published the book in 1864 to espouse his success after replacing an excessive intake of bread, sugar and potatoes with mostly meat, fish and vegetables.

Since then, fad diets have appeared in many forms. To what length will people go to achieve their desired figure? The history of dieting shows vanity outweighs common sense.

Liquid-based diets, featuring everybody’s favorite liquid

Let’s jump back to 1028, the year William the Conqueror was born. Healthy most of his life, he became so overweight in later years that he went on a liquid diet consisting of almost nothing but alcohol. He lost enough weight to resume riding his cherished horse, but a riding accident soon led to his untimely death.

We do know of one case in which consuming more alcohol than food allegedly led to longevity. In 1558, Italian nobleman Luigi Cornaro restricted himself daily to 12 ounces of food and 14 ounces of wine. Rumor has it he lived to a ripe 102 years of age, earning his approach the nickname The Immortality Diet.

Another alcohol-focused plan, The Drinking Man’s Diet, was introduced in the 1960s. This included so-called “manly” foods like steak and fish, along with as much alcohol as desired.

Poet Lord Byron credited his thin, pale look to vinegar and water. This practice reemerged in the 1950s as the popular Apple Cider Vinegar Diet, which instructs people to drink a mixture of equal parts honey and vinegar. The latest version, although not scientifically supported, claims that three teaspoons of apple cider vinegar before each meal will curb cravings and cut fat. You are having it every morning, aren’t you?

Cleanses

“Cleaner” liquid diets, cleanses and detoxes are designed to supposedly rid the body of toxins, despite our natural ability to do so.

In 1941, alternative health enthusiast Stanley Burroughs created the Master Cleanse, or Lemonade Diet, to eliminate cravings for junk food, alcohol, tobacco and drugs. All you had to do was consume a mixture of lemon or lime juice, maple syrup, water and cayenne pepper six times a day for at least 10 days. Beyoncé made this popular again in 2006, saying she lost 20 pounds in two weeks.

TV physician Dr. Oz and others have since promoted their own versions, varying in length and foods allowed. Most include a daily laxative and copious amounts of water.

The imaginatively named Last Chance Diet, published in 1976, consisted of drinking a very low-calorie liquid a few times per day. The main ingredient was a blend of predigested animal byproducts – think hide, horns and tendons. This “meat smoothie” was taken off the market after several followers died. They did not know that it was really their last chance.

More recently, the Green Juice plan became popular. Many were captivated by the promise of a deep cleanse or quick weight loss, while others saw it as an easy way to consume more fruits and vegetables. One of the original recipes called for apples, celery, cucumber, kale, lemon and ginger.

Celebrity diets

Andy Warhol had a different approach to maintaining his physique. He reportedly ordered the food items he disliked when out at restaurants, asking for a to-go box upon leaving. He would then give this to a homeless person. This is heart-warming, we can agree. Only that we have to be rich enough to order those many items on the menu.

Sleeping was another possibility. Elvis Presley was rumored to be an advocate of the Sleeping Beauty Diet. Its long pill-induced sleeping bouts were said to inhibit eating.

A more recent effort to mimic celebrities, the Hollywood 48 Hour Miracle Diet was joined by the Hollywood 24 Hour Miracle Diet, the Hollywood Daily Miracle Diet Drink Mix Meal Replacement and various dietary supplements.

Get slim quick

In the early 1900s, overweight businessman Horace Fletcher slimmed down and made dieting a pop culture phenomenon with his Chewing Diet. He recommended chewing food until it became liquid to prevent overeating.

Another method rumored to be popular in the early 1900s was the Tapeworm Diet. Theoretically, one would swallow a tapeworm or tapeworm pills. The worm would then live in your stomach and consume some of your food. While vintage advertisements have been found, there is no evidence that tapeworms were actually sold.

Other diets have allured fans over the years with the promise of easy weight loss through a single miraculous food. There’s the Grapefruit Diet, which recommends half a grapefruit before every meal; The Peanut Butter Diet and the Ice Cream Diet, both promising as much of said food daily as desired; and the Shangri-La Diet in 2006, which claimed you could beat hunger by drinking olive oil about an hour before each meal.

One standout example was the Cabbage Soup Diet, first popularized by celebrities in the 1950s. This diet involved consuming nothing but soup for seven days. The original recipe called for cabbage, vegetables, water and dry onion soup mix, but other renditions added ingredients like fruit, skim milk and beef. It became trendy again every ten years or so, with the internet making it easier to share.

Alternative ideas

Some diets and their supporting theories went beyond food. In 1727, writer Thomas Short observed that overweight people lived near swamps. His Avoiding Swamps Diet thus recommended moving away from swamps.

Instead of moving away from swamps, Breatharianism recommends not eating. Followers in a 2017 interview claimed food and water are unnecessary, saying they subsist on spirituality and sunlight alone. The prolonged fasting would eventually lead to starvation, but devotees have been spotted eating and drinking. Cheater Breathars.

The more dangerous Cotton Ball Diet surfaced in 2013. Dieters reported consuming up to five cotton balls at a time, saying they felt full and lost weight. With its unfortunate side effect of intestinal obstruction, this diet faded away.

While intriguing, fad diets are usually short-term quick fixes. They may produce initial rapid weight loss, but this is more likely due to their lower calorie intake than the follower’s usual diet, and often consists of water loss

Where does obsession with dieting go wrong?

Akshita Singal was 18 and weighed just 35 kg when she was brought in for a medical checkup. A team of doctors - a psychiatrist, a gastroenterologist, a nutritionist and her family physician - implored her to bite into a bar of chocolate, a treat she loved as a child. She refused to ingest even a tiny bit of it. Singal was diagnosed with anorexia, coupled with osteoporosis and a severe infection of the oesophagus. It took weeks of psychiatric sessions before she would accept the course of treatment.

Singal is one of the many Indian teenagers who are today pushing themselves to the brink - even risking death - in their obsession for perfectly sculpted bodies. With the concept that "thin is beautiful" being hammered into young minds, eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa - virtually unheard of only a decade or so ago in India - are becoming serious issues of concern.

Anorexia is an aversion to food due to an extreme fear of gaining weight. Bulimia is a food disorder characterised by a cycle of binge-eating in a short duration followed by purging or self-induced vomiting due to guilt.

The two conditions can, and often do, co-exist. What's worrisome is that both these disorders often go unrecognised and, therefore, undiagnosed.

In many ways, the reason they remain invisible is because they fit perfectly with disturbing stereotypes and distorted facts around body shape and beauty. That is, until they manifest into mental disorders that can have morbid physical implications.

According to the US-based National Eating Disorders Association, anorexia and bulimia, among the worst of mental disorders characterised by an extreme fear of gaining weight, take more lives than any other psychological ailment.

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, over 600 million Americans are affected by anorexia. In India, however, the prevalence of eating disorders is largely unrecognised because of a lack of quantitative research and ignorance around mental health.

Anorexia affects men, too, though it's 10 to 15 times more prevalent in young women, says Samir Parikh, director of the department of mental health and behavioural sciences at Fortis Healthcare, Delhi. "Eating disorders are egosyntonic, which means the patients believe they are perfectly healthy and that makes them refuse treatment," he explains.

While a person might be genetically predisposed to anorexia or bulimia, Parikh says the increasing number of cases speaks of the burden that societal pressures and Western constructs of beauty are putting on youngsters.

Eating disorders can be co-dependent and can lead to worse addictions. "They often have an associated co-morbid disorder such as depression, anxiety and even substance and/or alcohol abuse," says Sanjay Chugh, a Delhi-based consultant psychiatrist who specialises in eating disorders. While anorexia and bulimia can lead to depression, the reverse is also true.

As with any mental condition, Chugh says the treatment becomes slow and long-drawn-out as the illness becomes chronic. Regular follow-ups with the doctor and the therapist are the only way to detect a possible relapse. The first, critical step, however, is acknowledging the problem to oneself.

At Sophia College in Mumbai recently, the Canadian First Lady Sophia Grégoire Trudeau spoke of her teenage years that were blurred by bulimia - "cycles of binge-eating, purging and thinking" - and of her road to recovery, which, she said, "began when I started sharing my story". "I got to the path of wellness because I reached out and because I said, it was enough, why am I harming myself?" Trudeau told the packed hall.

Indian actress Jacqueline Fernandez, too, has spoken about how she used to "punish myself by not eating at all" and binge-eating and purging, and how she continues to fight that battle.

While experts underline the importance of early detection, continued treatment and parental support, survivors argue the importance of reaching out. The fact remains that anorexia and associated conditions are serious mental disorders. The treatment begins with acceptance and recognition. And India, which prides itself on the strength of its young population, has a lot of catching up to do

Who might be misled by BMI?

BMI is supposed to estimate the amount of body fat a person carries based on height and weight, and categorizes people based on what is appropriate for their size. BMI readings under 18.5 mean you are underweight, and could put on a few pounds. If you fall between 18.5 and 24.9, you’re considered normal, while a BMI of 30 or higher qualifies as overweight.

But in recent years, more researchers argue that it’s not the most accurate way to measure body weight. For years, scientists have said that BMI can’t distinguish between fat and muscle, which tends to be heavier and can tip more toned individuals into overweight status, even if their fat levels are low.

In the journal Science, the latest data from University of Pennsylvania shows that BMI also doesn’t tease apart different types of fat, each of which can have different metabolic effects on health. BMI cannot take into consideration, for example, where the body holds fat. Belly fat, which is known as visceral fat, is more harmful than fat that simply sitting under the skin.

Visceral fat develops deep among muscles and around organs like the liver and by releasing certain hormones and other agents, it disrupts the body’s ability to balance its energy needs.

Even relatively thin people can have high levels of visceral fat, which means they might be considered healthy by BMI standards, but internally they may actually be at higher risk of developing health problems related to weigh gain.

In April 2012, a study published in the journal PLoS One documented such inconsistencies and questioned the accuracy of using BMI to classify weight status of 1,400 men and women. As TIME reported:

“Among the study participants, about half of women who were not classified as obese according to their BMI actually were obese when their body fat percentage was taken into account. Among the men, in contrast, about a quarter of obese men had been missed by BMI.

Further, a quarter who were categorized as obese by BMI were not considered obese based on their body fat percentage. Overall, only about 39% of participants who were classified as overweight by their BMI were actually obese, according to their percent body fat.”

So why is BMI still the preferred way to measure weight and evaluate obesity?

For one, it’s a relatively easy measurement for doctors to take during an office visit. Taking a person’s height and weight and plugging it into an equation produces a number that informs doctors about whether their patients are at high, low or no risk when it comes to weight-related health problems.

But there may be better ways to measure body fat that provide more useful readings on how likely a person’s weight will contribute to chronic health problems. CT scans and MRIs can provide a clearer glimpse at the body’s make-up by separating out fat from muscle, for example. But these are expensive and involved compared to stepping on a scale.

Other types of scans, including dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) images, which are normally used to measure bone density, can also distinguish between fat from bone and muscle mass, but are also costly.

On a more practical level, some researchers have been pushing for using waist circumference or even wrist circumference to gauge potentially harmful weight gain and fat depots, but the evidence supporting this measurement and its ability to predict future health problems isn’t definitive enough yet.

So without a viable way to change how we measure body fat, for now, BMI is the best option. Perhaps doctors should rely on not just assessing body composition but measuring hormones and biomarkers in the blood or urine, for example, to get a better handle on abnormal processes that may contribute to obesity and chronic disease. And until such tests become available, BMI may still prove useful yet — if doctors combine BMI with a comprehensive evaluation of their patients’ medical history and lifestyle habits to get a meaningful, if not yet perfectly precise picture of their weight-related health.

How can one achieve optimum nutrition?

Eat a variety of foods

Eat a combination of different foods, including staple foods (e.g. cereals such as wheat, barley, rye, maize or rice, or starchy tubers or roots such as potato, yam, taro or cassava), legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), vegetables, fruit and foods from animals sources (e.g. meat, fish, eggs and milk)

Why?

Eating a variety of whole (i.e. unprocessed) and fresh foods every day helps children and adults to obtain the right amounts of essential nutrients.

It also helps them to avoid a diet that is high in sugars, fats and salt, which can lead to unhealthy weight gain (i.e. overweight and obesity) and noncommunicable diseases.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is especially important for young children's development; it also helps older people to have healthier and more active lives.

Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit

For snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh fruit, rather than foods that are high in sugars, fats or salt

Avoid overcooking vegetables and fruit as this can lead to loss of important vitamins

When using canned or dried vegetables and fruit, choose varieties without added salt and sugars

Why?

Vegetables and fruit are important sources of vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, plant protein and antioxidants. People whose diets are rich in vegetables and fruit have a significantly lower risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Eat moderate amounts of fats and oils

Use unsaturated vegetable oils (e.g. olive, soy, sunflower or corn oil) rather than animals fats or oils high in saturated fats (e.g. butter, ghee, lard, coconut and palm oil)

If you eat non-veg, choose white meat (e.g. poultry) and fish, which are generally low in fats, as compared to red meat

Eat only limited amounts of processed meats because these are high in fat and salt

Where possible, opt for low-fat or reduced-fat versions of milk and dairy products

Avoid processed, baked and fried foods that contain industrially produced trans-fat

Why?

Fats and oils are concentrated sources of energy, and eating too much fat, particularly the wrong kinds of fat, can be harmful to health. For example, people who eat too much saturated fat and trans-fat are at higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

Trans-fat may occur naturally in certain meat and milk products, but the industrially produced trans-fat (e.g. partially hydrogenated oils) present in various processed foods is the main source.

Eat less salt and sugars

When cooking and preparing foods, limit the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce and fish sauce)

Avoid foods (e.g. snacks), that are high in salt and sugars

Limit intake of soft drinks or soda and other drinks that are high in sugars (e.g. fruit juices, cordials and syrups, flavoured milks and yogurt drinks)

Choose fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate

Why?

People whose diets are high in sodium (including salt) have a greater risk of high blood pressure, which can increase their risk of heart disease and stroke.

Similarly, those whose diets are high in sugars have a greater risk of becoming overweight or obese, and an increased risk of tooth decay.

People who reduce the amount of sugars in their diet may also reduce their risk of no communicable diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

Breastfeed babies and young children

From birth to 6 months of age, feed babies exclusively with breast milk (i.e. give them no other food or drink), and feed them "on demand" (i.e. as often as they want, day and night)

At 6 months of age, introduce a variety of safe and nutritious foods to complement breastfeeding, and continue to breastfeed until babies are 2 years of age or beyond. Do not add salt or sugars to foods for babies and young children.

Why?

On its own, breast milk provides all the nutrients and fluids that babies need for their first 6 months of healthy growth and development. Exclusively breastfed babies have better resistance against common childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea, respiratory infections and ear infections.

In later life, those who were breastfed as infants are less likely to become overweight or obese, or to suffer from noncommunicable diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.