It's war!

In our culture, it seems we have declared war on our bodies. We wage war on our bodies, trying to mould them in the image that we think they should fit - and if we can't win the battle, we bash ourselves up for being weak and undiscplined.

When we hit our teenage years, we start to change shape and our bodies begin to grow bits we didn't have before. Hips begin to change shape, breasts pop up, shoulders broaden, voices squeak and hair starts sprouting all over the place. It is about this time that the war with our bodies seems to be declared! We start to pluck, shave, smear ourselves in pimple cream, cleanse and tone, worry about what we eat and feel embarrassed when anyone looks at us.

Some of these words might sound familiar to you.

• Hairless - shave, wax, pluck, bleach creams, electrolysis...
• Flawless skin - anti-zit creams, face washes, cleansers, toners, moisturisers, mud masks, beautician appointments, fake tans, tanning beds....
• Hairstyles to die for - hair treatments, bleach, dye, perm, cut, hairspray….

The so-called perfect body - dieting books, dieting programs, hours and hours of pushing bike peddles on a bike that goes no-where, the ab-toner, the flab-toner, the fab-toner, the cab-toner.... gym memberships, pumping weights, body-building, starving, diet milk-shakes, diet pills, laxatives, protein drinks, cellulite creams, nips and tucks, plastic surgery.....

Busts and boobs - "I must, I must, I must improve my bust", bra's (push-ups, push-downs, push-lefts, push rights....), breast shaping or curving creams, bust firming gels, breast enlargements, breast reductions...

For those curve-less thighs - thigh slimming diets, flab busters...

I think you get the picture. If we chase the look of the 'perfect body', our personal war will continue. Think about what we might be losing out on if we continue to try and reach 'perfection'. Who ultimately wins?

Diets and dieting
Warning!

Dieting is dangerous! Diets can make you feel depressed, worthless and unable to concentrate. They can also make you sick. Dieting can stress your body and in most cases make you put on the pounds!

Sometimes dieting can become so much part of people's lives that they develop an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia nervosa. An eating disorder can lead to lots of body damage and sometimes death. If you are worried that you have (or someone you know has) an eating disorder, contact your doctor, nutritionist or community health service as soon as possible. Check out our topic Eating disorders.

Here is some interesting information about diets:

• Dieting is not effective - dieting changes a person's metabolism so that they are more likely to lose muscle mass than fat. Any weight lost may be put on again when the diet is stopped.
• Diets stress your body - diets which aim to drop the kilos quickly actually starve the body, affecting the immune system and general well-being.
• Diets can affect your emotional well-being - there is a high chance that a person will regain weight after dieting. This can lead to feelings of being a failure, self-hatred, or helplessness.
• Dieting makes you slow and less able to concentrate.
• Dieting and smoking. Some people keep smoking because they are worried that if they quit, they would put on weight. However, not everyone who quits puts on weight, and any initial weight gain is usually small - about 2 kg - and this soon comes off. Think of what smoking does - it gives you wrinkles around the mouth and eyes, makes your skin look grey and your teeth yellow, and your breath smells bad. Combining smoking and dieting can be quite dangerous to your health.

Eating can mean lots of different things. It is related to many things other than body shape. Think about what food means to you now. Food is used in celebration, as a treat, for fun, as a comfort, as a gift. It gives us the energy to work, learn and do all the fun things we like to do.

Exercise

Exercise, rather than limiting food intake, is the best and safest way to become healthier.

Regular exercise such as brisk walks daily, regular physical education classes or sport can lead to improved health and weight loss without muscle loss.
Even if no weight is lost, exercise makes a person fitter and healthier, and feel better.

Making friends with your body

You and your body can be mates! If you want to make peace, it might be helpful to remember:

• your body shape is your own and is unique
• your body shape is based on your family's shape, determined by your genes
• companies want you to part with your money by making you feel that your body isn't good enough
• your body is your home, and needs to be looked after feeling good about your body as it is, helps you to maintain a positive outlook in other areas of your life.

Many people like to take up an interest where they use their body. This is a way to notice how much your body helps you enjoy life. Some things people have done are belly-dancing, rock-climbing, aerobics and swimming. Try something new! It will raise your self-esteem and make you feel good about who you are. This is your life, not your waist's, pec's or butt's!