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Experts reveal how the pressure of a healthy lifestyle could be having the opposite effect

Over the past few years wellness trends have grown in popularity – from yoga and meditation to gut-friendly foods.

And while being invested in looking after our physical and mental health is a good thing, experts have questioned if the fixation and constant bombardment on self-improvement actually making us happy.

Life coach and NLP practitioner Rob Brennan told FEMAIL: ‘The trend of wanting more, wanting to be happier, wanting to look perfect and to have the perfect life, is ironically creating deep rooted unhappiness and discontent.’

And from cutting out food groups to eat ‘cleanly’ to tucking into protein bars, experts said there are a number of different ways following wellness trends could be damaging your body.

Here FEMAIL reveals the four trends not to follow…

Life coach and NLP practitioner Rob Brennan, from London, told FEMAIL the four different wellness trends which could actually be damaging your health – including eating protein bars (stock image)

1. ‘POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE’…CAN BE TOXIC

According to Rob, a positivity overload, as in pretending everything is ok when it isn’t and trying to ignore life’s ups and downs, can actually have a negative impact on our mental healthy.

This the expert coins as ‘toxic positivity’, which he said has come from ‘hijacking of good mental health advice and suggestions by the uninformed influencers’ as well as magazines, the media and celebrities.

While ‘good vibes only please’ or ‘I choose to surround myself with positive people only as I don’t want to be dragged down’ sound like positive principles, they force us to ignore sadness or pain because it’s unsettling.

He uses the example of telling people it’s okay not to be okay while wearing a new ‘good vibes only’ hoody to illustrate how this can send people mixed messages and put people off discussing difficult matters.

He said: ‘Life is not all good vibes at all, it’s hard, complicated, tiring and has ups and downs all the way from start to finish; pretending it’s all good vibes and silencing ourselves and others with toxic positivity leads to unhappiness, anxiety and pain.

‘I think I’ll get a hoody made “good vibes only” on the front then “toxic positivity – making people feed bad for feeling sad” on the back, I think it’ll sell well once people get it.’

No one is positive all the time it’s not normal to be so, everyone has trials and struggles and this should be normalised.

The life coach explained that everyone struggles sometimes but when people feel on the outside or not normal because they are sad, they don’t necessarily get the help that they need.

Rob said: ‘Whilst society and social media remains riddled with toxic positivity, the clear message to those who aren’t okay is that it is very much not okay and that no one wants to hear about it if you aren’t.’

2. INSTA-INSPO… ISN’T REALISTIC

Unpacking wellness further, Rob described how many people can feel inadequate when confronted with images of what ‘wellness’ and ‘happiness’ looks like.

He said: ‘These images are simply unattainable to the vast majority and they are created in entirely false situations where reality is a distant consideration.’

‘It can take hours to create the right the shot, whether it be the perfect plate of food or position on a yoga mat, when in reality some people may not have the time to engage in a full yoga session first thing or the money to buy in the ‘best health foods’.

What people don’t see is the deleted shots that weren’t right or what they look like unfiltered, or what they eat 90 per cent of the time.

Rob wants to remind people that wellness ‘is not associated with actual happiness and health but with the perception of it, and these two things are very different.’

He warns that sharing pictures of ‘healthy lifestyle’, whether it be food, exercise, or taking time for yourself are heading towards toxic territory because it isn’t the norm and often unattainable for most people juggling busy lifestyles, and so they may only ever feel sad and inadequate when they try to incorporate wellness into their lifestyle.

It’s not just the pressure of leading an active, healthy lifestyle that can be detrimental to overall wellness but nutrition can also have a negative impact.

3. ‘CLEAN EATING’…COULD BE DEPRIVING YOUR BODY OF NUTRIENTS

Jordan Storey, a nutritionist and personal trainer, explained: ‘Wellness trend “clean eating” – bland chicken and broccoli type training diet focusing on food as fuel can shift our perception of eating as one of life’s pleasures towards seeing it as a chore or with guilt.’

Jordan, who was a former bodybuilding, explained how he has trailed many diets within his 15 years of experience.

He explained: ‘People tend to fall out of love with food easily and even create a negative feeling towards the food they eat, which can impact their mental wellbeing.’

Jordan revealed that people may be missing out on the vital vitamins that their bodies need if they are following wellness trends.

In addition, by eating what you think you are supposed to eat takes the fun out of food.

He said: ‘My quote “Add love back into your food” simply meaning you should enjoy the foods you are cooking and eating, and not only will your body thank you for it but your whole mindset will change too.’

4. HIGH PROTEIN SNACKS…ARE PACKED FULL OF SUGAR

In addition, wellness food trends such as ‘high protein snacks’ are all over social media.

These can include high protein yoghurts, puddings and drinks claiming to be packed with protein and low calorie.

However Jordan described how they are usually high in sugar and so will spike insulin levels.

In addition, the protein content they use doesn’t always come from a full complete protein source such as milk protein.

He said: ‘Can I also just note once you spike your insulin levels they do have to come back down which then they will crash leaving you wanting even more sugar to help stable your blood sugars.

‘I am not saying to avoid these totally as that wouldn’t be a healthy lifestyle.

‘I do believe in the 80/20 lifestyle rule…however if you do crave something sweet you might as well just enjoy your favourite chocolate bar than go for these.

‘The high protein is definitely used in the title to make you buy these products.

‘A burger from McDonalds is much higher in protein than these puddings but they do not claim its a high protein burger.’

Heart Healthy Lifestyle Linked to Longer Life Without Diabetes, Cancer

Researchers say people who follow the Life Essential 8 recommendations tend to have healthier cardiovascular systems and live longer.
The eight recommended lifestyle elements include a healthy diet, regular exercise, weight management, and low cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Researchers say adopting these daily habits can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, and dementia.

Adults who live a heart-healthy lifestyle and have scores on the higher end of the American Heart Association’s Life Essential 8 cardiovascular heart chart tend to live longer with optimal health.

That’s according to a pair of studies presented at the association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2023.

Both studies are based on the American Heart Association Life Essential 8 and participants were scored based on whether they implemented the points in their lives.

The Essential 8 are:

Eat better
Be more active
Quit tobacco
Get healthy sleep
Manage weight
Control cholesterol
Manage blood sugar
Manage blood pressure

The American Heart Association defined scores as:

Less than 50 – poor cardiovascular health
51 to 80 – intermediate cardiovascular health
81 – high cardiovascular health

The studies haven’t been published yet in a peer-reviewed journal.

The first study looked at the levels of the American Heart Association Life Essential 8 and its correlation with life expectancy and living free of chronic disease.

The scientists reviewed the health data of 136,599 adults in the United Kingdom who did not have cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, or dementia at the start of the study.

The researchers compared life expectancy between the groups. They reported that adults who scored in the high cardiovascular health category at age 50 lived longer than those in the poor heart category. On average, men lived about 5 years longer and women lived about 6 years longer.

People with excellent cardiovascular health also live longer without chronic disease. Disease-free life expectancy accounted for nearly 76{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of total life expectancy for men and more than 83{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} for women with ideal cardiovascular health.

In contrast, disease-free life expectancy was about 65{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of men and about 69{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of women with poor cardiovascular health.

“The ideal would be to follow healthy habits from the start,” said Dr. Alexandra Lajoie, a non-invasive cardiologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in California.

“But starting exercise, getting better sleep, and maintaining a healthy body weight improves blood pressure and blood sugar, and consequently reduces cardiovascular event risk for decades beyond age 50,” she told Healthline.

“It is never too late to improve your lifestyle,” Lajoie continued. “Heart-healthy changes at any age have been shown to improve quality of life and reduce the number of necessary prescription medications.”

Limitations to the study were that cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dementia were the only diseases included in the definition of disease-free life expectancy.

In the second study, researchers analyzed information, including Life’s Essential 8 scores, for more than 23,000 adults in the United States who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2005 to 2018.

These researchers used the same categories as the first study.

The scientists found that people at age 50 with scores exceeding 80 had a life expectancy of about 33 additional years. The remaining life expectancy was about 25 years for people with poor cardiovascular health.

“Quitting smoking is the best thing to improve heart health,” Lajoie said. “After that, it’s maintaining a regular exercise routine.”

People who maintain cardiovascular health have benefits throughout their older years, but further research is needed to see how changes, such as quitting smoking change their life expectancy.

“Although all of the 8 Healthy Living points are important and are intertwined with each other, diet and exercise together is a good place to start developing healthy habits,” said Dr. Aeshita Dwivedi, a cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. “Our genetics play a large role in our overall health, but living a healthy life can minimize the effects of our genes.”

“It is important to note that most participants were Caucasian,” noted Dwivedi. “We don’t know if the results would be different if there were more diversity. However, it is unsurprising that living a heart-healthy lifestyle would provide more health benefits.”

“Studies such as these are encouraging and can motivate people to adopt a healthier lifestyle,” Dwivedi told Healthline. “It is especially encouraging that people who scored low and then changed some habits and transitioned from low to better scores saw improvements in their health and life expectancy.”

Healthy Lifestyle Linked to Slower Memory Decline in Older Adults

The researchers uncovered that each personal wholesome habits (healthful eating plan, standard workout, energetic social get in touch with, cognitive action, non-using tobacco, and by no means drinking alcohol) was associated with a slower-than-typical drop in memory in excess of 10 decades just after accounting for other health, economic, and social aspects. The strongest result on slowing memory decrease was a balanced diet, followed by cognitive exercise and then physical work out.

Even individuals with genes connected to Alzheimer’s ailment see advantages.

In accordance to a 10 years-extended review of older grown ups in China, just lately released in The BMJ, a nutritious way of life, specially a nutritious diet plan, is joined to slower memory decrease.

The analyze uncovered that even carriers of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, which is the strongest acknowledged possibility variable for

Memory continuously declines as people age, but evidence from existing studies is insufficient to assess the effect of a healthy lifestyle on memory in later life. And given the many possible causes of memory decline, a combination of healthy behaviors might be needed for an optimal effect.

To explore this further, researchers analyzed data from 29,000 adults aged at least 60 years (average age 72; 49{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} women) with normal cognitive function who were part of the China Cognition and Aging Study.

At the start of the study in 2009, memory function was measured using the Auditory Verbal Learning test (AVLT) and participants were tested for the APOE gene (20{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} were found to be carriers). Follow-up assessments were then conducted over the next 10 years in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2019.

A healthy lifestyle score combining six factors was then calculated: healthy diet, regular exercise, active social contact (eg. seeing friends and family), cognitive activity (eg. writing, reading, playing mahjong), non-smoking, and never drinking alcohol.

Based on their score, ranging from 0 to 6, participants were put into favorable (4 to 6 healthy factors), average (2 to 3 healthy factors), or unfavorable (0 to 1 healthy factors) lifestyle groups and into APOE carrier and non-carrier groups.

After accounting for a range of other health, economic and social factors, the researchers found that each individual healthy behavior was associated with a slower-than-average decline in memory over 10 years. A healthy diet had the strongest effect on slowing memory decline, followed by cognitive activity and then physical exercise.

Compared with the group that had unfavorable lifestyles, memory decline in the favorable lifestyle group was 0.28 points slower over 10 years based on a standardized score (z score) of the AVLT, and memory decline in the average lifestyle group was 0.16 points slower. Participants with the APOE gene with favorable and average lifestyles also experienced a slower rate of memory decline than those with an unfavorable lifestyle (0.027 and 0.014 points per year slower, respectively).

What’s more, those with favorable or average lifestyles were almost 90{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} and almost 30{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} less likely to develop dementia or mild cognitive impairment relative to those with an unfavorable lifestyle, and the APOE group had similar results.

This is an observational study so can’t establish cause and the researchers acknowledge some limitations, such as the potential for measurement errors due to self-reporting of lifestyle factors, and the possibility of selection bias, as some participants did not return for follow-up evaluations. But this was a large study with a long follow-up period, allowing for the evaluation of individual lifestyle factors on memory function over time. And findings remained significant after further analyses, suggesting that they are robust.

As such, the researchers say their results provide strong evidence that adherence to a healthy lifestyle with a combination of positive behaviors is associated with a slower rate of memory decline, even for people who are genetically susceptible to memory decline. They suggest further research could focus on the effects of a healthy lifestyle on memory decline across the lifespan, acknowledging that memory problems can also affect younger people, not included in this study. “These results might offer important information for public health initiatives to protect older adults against memory decline,” they conclude.

“Prevention is important, given the absence of effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias,” say researchers in a linked editorial.

However, they point out that these results do not help to determine which among the six health behaviors included in the score (or specific combination) is the best target for dementia prevention, or when in the life course to focus prevention efforts. Further insight is also needed to determine whether the differences in memory decline observed in this study are clinically meaningful, they add.

They suggest a similar approach that led to a substantial reduction in cardiovascular disease should be taken with dementia prevention, “identifying not only the factors that matter most but also the threshold at which they matter, and the age when intervention is likely to be most effective.”

Reference: “Association between healthy lifestyle and memory decline in older adults: 10 year, population based, prospective cohort study” by Jianping Jia, Tan Zhao, Zhaojun Liu, Yumei Liang, Fangyu Li, Yan Li, Wenying Liu, Fang Li, Shengliang Shi, Chunkui Zhou, Heyun Yang, Zhengluan Liao, Yang Li, Huiying Zhao, Jintao Zhang, Kunnan Zhang, Minchen Kan, Shanshan Yang, Hao Li, Zhongling Liu, Rong Ma, Jihui Lv, Yue Wang, Xin Yan, Furu Liang, Xiaoling Yuan, Jinbiao Zhang, Serge Gauthier and Jeffrey Cummings, 25 January 2023, The BMJ.
DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2022-072691

The study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

5 lifestyle changes to reduce your cancer risk

In a world comprehensive of undesirable information, here’s a bit of great: A third to a 50 {bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of all cancers are preventable.

Cancer deaths have been on the decline for a lot more than 3 decades—and stayed on the decline, even with the pandemic raging, in accordance to a modern report from the American Cancer Culture. And they are reliably dropping by a percentage point or two just about every year, Karen Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Modern society, tells Fortune.

The optimistic craze is due in element to developments in treatment, which include vaccines that can combat cancer in those who have it and quit it from returning in all those who’ve gone into remission. (There are also vaccines that can stop it from taking place completely.)

But the steady drop in fatalities is also thanks to the fact that so significantly of cancer is preventable—and term is receiving out.

Almost 610,000 cancer fatalities are envisioned in the U.S. this 12 months, Knudsen says—a little more than 1,670 per day. The silver lining: “Eighteen {bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of new cancer cases—and 16{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of cancer deaths—are attributable to points men and women can modify.”

Below are 5 rather very simple way of life changes you can make to appreciably lower your danger of producing cancer—and boost your all round wellbeing.

1. Limit your consuming or reduce it out altogether.

You read through that ideal: Go dry. Period. Entire halt.

Alcoholic beverages “has now been affiliated with five to six kinds of most cancers,” Dr. Ernest Hawk, head of the Most cancers Avoidance and Population Sciences division at the University of Texas’s MD Anderson Most cancers Middle, tells Fortune. “We utilized to feel there was a cardiologic advantage, but that’s mostly been refuted.”

Although the most the latest suggestions get in touch with for whole avoidance of alcoholic beverages to quash affiliated cancer threat, if you’re not ready to reduce it out absolutely, gals should not take in additional than one particular consume a working day at most—two a day for gentlemen, according to Hawk.

2. Avoid recognized carcinogens like tobacco (and secondhand smoke, way too).

Smoking is poor for your health—especially for your lungs. That is not information. But inspite of widespread awareness of the simple fact, 14{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} to 15{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of the populace however smokes, Hawk tells Fortune.

Besides staying linked to lung cancer, using tobacco can also direct to other varieties of cancer like pancreatic and bladder, Knudsen adds.

Individuals who are addicted to nicotine “really are worthy of a whole lot of focus and help and remedy, which is now commonly readily available,” Hawk suggests. “It’s critical to know they’re not in it on your own.”

Most smokers—more than 95{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}—can’t quit on their possess, he states. The most effective method: “a mix of medicine with counseling.” If you smoke and are open to quitting, get hold of your most important-treatment service provider for help—or contact the U.S. Centers for Disease Handle and Prevention’s national hotline at 1-800-Stop-NOW to communicate with a quitting coach.

It’s value mentioning that secondhand smoke can also be extremely fatal. It’s dependable for nearly 7,500 lung most cancers fatalities each year among U.S. adults who never smoke, according to the CDC. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke improve their lung most cancers chance by 20{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} to 30{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f}. So stay clear of it like the plague.

3. Control your fat with diet plan and physical exercise.

Not only will carrying out so improve your coronary heart well being and help retain your blood pressure less than control, but it will also lower your hazard of building cancer in the upcoming, authorities say.

The best information: Physical exercise and consume balanced throughout your daily life span. Some of the recommendations available to Fortune viewers:

Fill about two-thirds of your plate with fruits and veggies, and the remainder with wholesome proteins like fish and poultry, Hawk advises.
Make guaranteed your diet regime is varied. “Color matters,” Knudsen suggests, incorporating that dark eco-friendly, purple, and orange greens are fascinating, as are fiber-loaded veggies like beans and peas. And be sure to toss in a generous helping of entire grains, as very well as a rainbow of fruit alternatives. Stay clear of extremely processed foodstuff.
Make guaranteed you get in between 150 and 300 minutes of reasonable exercising, or 75 to 100 minutes of vigorous physical exercise, every single 7 days, Knudsen endorses.

The closer a single gets to the larger conclusion of that selection, the better, Knudsen claims, introducing that authorities really don’t but completely fully grasp just why there’s a correlation concerning work out and cancer reduction.

Nonetheless, “you need to really feel great on your treadmill or out using a vigorous wander, knowing that you are not just doing excellent factors for your body, but that you are engaging in cancer prevention as effectively,” she adds.

Whilst workout is important, it’s not a overcome-all. Be positive you are not living a sedentary lifestyle usually, she cautions: “Get up and shift all around often.”

4. Put on sunscreen and really do not use tanning beds.

The moment again, the goal right here is to decrease your publicity to sunburns throughout your everyday living span, Hawk claims.

“Getting burned early in lifetime is related with very long-expression possibility of pores and skin cancer,” he advises.

When it comes to sunshine protection, he recommends the following:

Put on protecting clothing.
Keep away from likely out in the warmth of the day.
Put on sunscreen each and every day.

“All the popular-sense things your mom taught you turns out to be right,” he claims.

5. Learn your family risk—even if the discussion is not comfortable.

It is great to know if you have a background of cancer in your spouse and children. But it’s especially vital to be conscious of most cancers background amongst to start with-degree relatives—parents, siblings, and youngsters, Hawk advises.

“Whether they had precancerous lesions or cancers, it feeds into your chance,” he states.

If family have a record of most cancers, enable your major-care service provider know. You are going to most likely be screened earlier than encouraged for that kind of most cancers.

“At minimum historically, family members have been unwilling to share information of a cancer prognosis, even with relatives,” he suggests. “That’s the completely wrong information. Share exposures, at least amongst blood kin, so everybody is informed that they might be at elevated chance.”

Some of these life style adjustments seem pretty simple—but we all know this sort of factors are less difficult stated than done. People looking to boost their over-all wellbeing and reduce their cancer risk should know that “you never have to do this overnight,” Knudsen suggests.

Much more good news: The adjustments get less complicated with time.

“Once you get started down this route, people today often locate they really feel better—which is beneficial reinforcement,” she provides.

Virgo Horoscope Today, March 14, 2023: Maintain a healthy lifestyle | Astrology

VIRGO (Aug 24-Sept 23)

As a Virgo, your daily horoscope indicates that your family relationships may be strong and supportive. Daily astrological prediction says depending on the situation, you may seek advice from elder members or make decisions independently. Your focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle may contribute to your overall well-being. Your finances may be steady. You may have taken steps to secure your financial future through life insurance and other measures. Your romantic relationship may be stable, and you may strive to overcome past challenges or differences. Your professional life may present challenges, but you are likely to be proactive in seeking solutions. This could mean taking on part-time work or exploring new career opportunities. Your travel experiences introduce you to some new cuisines or new destinations. Your property may benefit from background verification, and other aspects of your life, such as academics and miscellaneous, may involve managing time and maintaining positive relationships with neighbours.

Virgo Finance Today

Finances may remain steady, with a focus on budgeting and saving for the future. Investment opportunities can be pursued for long-term growth. However, impulsive spending or unexpected expenses can sometimes disrupt financial stability.

Virgo Family Today

Family relationships may remain strong and supportive. However, there may be tension or disagreement regarding some hasty decisions. Seek advice from elder members to maintain peace. Regular family gatherings and open communication help to keep a positive and harmonious dynamic.

Virgo Career Today

The professional front may face difficulties with a lack of job security or career growth opportunities. Some individuals may turn to part-time jobs or freelancing to supplement their income. Others may search for a new job or career path that aligns with their skills and interests.

Virgo Health Today

A healthy lifestyle is a top priority, focusing on eating nutritious food, consuming green vegetables, and engaging in regular physical activity. A positive mindset and stress management techniques should be incorporated for overall well-being.

Virgo Love Life Today

Make efforts to maintain a strong bond and keep the spark alive. However, past differences or old flames may sometimes create challenges. Communication and compromise will be key to overcoming these challenges and maintaining a healthy and happy relationship.

Lucky Number: 4

Lucky Colour: Red

By: Manisha Koushik, Dr Prem Kumar Sharma

(Astrologer, Palmist, Numerologist & Vastu Consultant)

Email: support@askmanisha.com, psharma@premastrologer.com

Url: www.askmanisha.com, www.premastrologer.com

Contact: Panchkula: +91-172-2562832, 2572874

Delhi: +91-11-47033152, 40532026

‘Eating disorders are not lifestyle choices’: Why many people share a complicated relationship with food

Kritika Ghai was first diagnosed with binge-eating disorder when she was merely 12 years. Since birth, she had an enlarged adenoid that blocked her nose pipe, making her gain weight. Her suffering was further exacerbated by her inability to perform any kind of exercise, owing to her irregular breathing patterns. As such, as a child, she was put on various extreme diets to manage her weight. This forced her to eat large amounts of food — rapidly and secretively. “Not knowing what I was going through, eating became a way to validate my emotions,” she said, adding that the pandemic-induced anxiety only led to her eating even more food during stressful and lonely times.

Finally, she consulted a nutritionist who helped her develop healthy eating patterns. Ghai was advised to not curb her cravings and eliminate the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ food in order to stop associating eating with guilt and shame. “I started seeing my body as a structure that supported me and this perspective enabled me to develop a healthy body image,” she said. Finally, after years of battling with this binge-eating disorder, she has developed a healthy relationship with food by eating regular meals, exercising and food-mapping, a technique which involves charting your daily meals in a journal to keep a track of what you’re eating.

Similarly, Pranshu Mishra developed binge-eating disorder due to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), stress, and an excessive study load in eleventh grade. “You just don’t stop at one single serving; you just mindlessly eat even if you feel discomfort,” Mishra said, calling eating disorders “a tug of war between the stomach and brain”.

While eating her favourite food induced happy hormones in her body, she would feel immense guilt immediately after consumption, leading her to starve herself for hours before repeating the same cycle, she admitted.

Ann, on the other hand, developed bulimia — a serious eating disorder marked by bingeing, followed by methods to avoid weight gain — in 2007. “I have been a chubby kid all my life because of which I faced a lot of bullying. It reached a point where people made snide remarks like ‘do people in your house get to eat food or do you eat it all?’ or ‘go for a walk.’ This massively affected me, and I stopped eating in front of people,” she told indianexpress.com. Owing to her condition, she used to excessively work out which made her lose weight drastically. “I felt very weak and light-headed all the time,” she said.

To understand more about the mental and physical aspects of such eating disorders, we reached out to experts, who emphasised that these disorders are not lifestyle choices. Dr Aparna Ramakrishnan, Psychiatry Consultant, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai said, “Eating disorders are complex disorders associated with significant disturbances in an individual’s eating behaviours and related thoughts, emotions and attitudes which impair their physical, psychological health and psychosocial functioning. They can often be life-threatening.” She highlighted that the exact causation is elusive, but eating disorders are caused by a complex interaction of genetic, biological, behavioural, psychological and social factors.

Agreeing, Dr Meghana Pasi, Nutrition Consultant, MyThali Program, ArogyaWorld said, “Societal and peer pressure to achieve unrealistic body standards as well as people with low self-esteem and impulsive behaviour are at risk of developing eating disorders.” The expert said that nutritional counselling, psychotherapy and medications are some available treatment options.

Implementing these, Mishra sought nutritional advice from a dietitian who asked her to eat at regular intervals and practise mindful eating, a technique which makes you pay closer attention to your food and how it makes you feel, thereby helping you distinguish between physical and emotional hunger. Alongside, she also included physical activities such as swimming, yoga, and exercise in her routine which made her feel better about her body. “Earlier, people used to body shame me and call me different names, but after developing self-confidence, I am able to ignore their nasty remarks,” she said.

As for Ann, running was what changed her life for the better as it became a mechanism for her to lose weight in a healthy way, helping her achieve mental peace.

Does social media affect eating disorders?

‘Eating disorders are not lifestyle choices’: Why many people share a complicated relationship with food Social media plays a huge role in our relationship with food. (Source: Freepik)

Talking about the same, Dr Ramakrishnan said, “Exposure to media like fashion magazines, television and social media mediate thin-ideal internalisation and can be associated with the development of eating disorders. More time spent or frequent use of social media means more exposure to images, messages and peer interactions which can propagate body stereotypes.” She further explained that inaccurate visual media representation like the use of filters on photos and videos can raise the risk of eating disorders.

Moreover, after analysis of videos and chat groups across social media platforms, there is a worrying presence of ‘pro-ana’ and ‘pro-mia’ content which focus on anorexia and bulimia being lifestyle choices (that are to be respected) rather than being categorised as disorders, Dr Ramakrishnan said.

Agreeing, Dr Dinika Anand, Clinical Psychologist, BLK-Max Superspeciality Hospital said, “Social media plays a huge role in our relationship with food. On one end, social media projects the ideal body type and size, and on the other end, it glorifies and celebrates food through advertisements and food bloggers.”

The experts stressed that women are more likely to be affected by social pressure and unfavourable evaluations of their physical appearance. Moreover, gender stereotypes, especially the objectification and sexualisation of women, contribute to the emergence of eating disorders among them. Research published in The Journal of Treatment and Prevention in 2012 concurs with this claim as it showed that men are less likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder even when they exhibit the same symptoms as women because eating disorders are considered generally ‘female’ disorders.

Here are some tips by experts that can help manage eating disorders:

*Keep meals on track
*Eat small portions of meals throughout the day
*Stop starving
*Do not restrict your urges
*Delete or limit the usage of food delivery applications
*Scroll through social media mindfully by engaging with body positivity and relatable content instead of unrealistic and curated feeds

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