With societal pressure, students have taken extreme measures to fit the ideal of beauty created by society.
Ways some diet to be ‘in shape’ is through vigorous weight loss regimens and skipping meals.
Not only unhealthy but dangerous eating habits have become a common struggle among teenagers. However, the demand to be “skinny” or fit certain beauty ideals almost encourages these destructive patterns leading to issues such as Anorexia and other possible eating disorders.
Junior Courtney Mohr has seen her peers doing the extremes, “It’s sad to see a lot of people I know not eat just look good or be skinny. Starving shouldn’t be how people choose to lose weight, it isn’t healthy,” she said.
Many believe weight loss to be calories in against calories out. This can contribute to why many people abstain from eating. While not eating, the body loses strength and begins to change in detrimental ways.
More harmful than helpful in the aid of weight loss, using the method of starvation can have damaging outcomes other than just eating disorders. Starving to lose weight makes the body more susceptible to injuries because it lessens the body’s muscle mass and changes metabolism.
Another way young people are contributing to weight loss is through ingesting apple cider vinegar. It is believed that the substance used for many salad dressings can aid in weight loss. While drinking the vinegar may have its benefits, students are taking the dietary drink at unhealthy levels. The vinegar consumed at unhealthy levels can lead to dangerous health concerns such as stomach ulcers.
Junior Reese Lineman said “I have heard of people drinking apple cider vinegar before and just the name of it sounds bad,” expressed Lineman. “There are plenty of other ways to lose weight than drinking straight vinegar.”
The practice of dangerous weight loss leads to the question of why some young people do them. In this age, students live with unrealistic standards of society.
A healthy way to lose weight is through exercise and eating clean. Rather than skipping lunch or dinner today, students should choose fresh foods and exercise as opposed to other harmful methods of weight loss to their bodies.
