by Azman Ahmad

Created on: December 10, 2009

Keeping an eye on your weight and health is something everyone should do but make sure you’re doing it right. Everyone’s got hang-ups with their bodies and even supermodels are not 100 percent happy with what they’ve got… but that’s just human nature.

“My thighs are huge, my tummy’s so round & huge that I couldn’t see my toe while I am standing straight up, my arms are so fat and flabby". These are just some example of the more common complaints. And least you think it’s just a problem with women, men are just as susceptible to insecurities regarding their bodies.

Sometimes these insecurities are taken to another level though and these negative body images can turn into something dangerous. People who are unhappy, be it with their physical appearance or emotionally distraught, sometimes turn to or away from food. While some seek solace in food, some others spurn it. Skipping a few meals once in a while may sound harmless enough but in the long run could endanger your health.

Eating disorders are a real danger to one’s health. “Anorexia”, “Bulimia” and “Compulsive Overeating” have caused the deaths of many but scarily enough; many people still suffer from these diseases. Well, as for me, I've stay "happily" in the hospital 3 days and 2 nights for appendicitis (still don't figure out whether this has something to do with my "junkie-food" habit).

Sure, we envy celebrities (for instance; I envy to Sylvester Stallone perfect figure in the movie Rocky III) with their perfect figures but what we fail to remember is that the flawless images we see in the glossies are "touched up". Look at the pictures that the tabloids publish of celebrities who are caught unaware; they look as normal as the rest of us.

Some people eat when they’re stressed or unhappy. If that bowl of ice cream lifts up your spirit then go ahead but don’t polish off a Starbuck mug, followed by a sleeve of cookies, and then a plate of rice. In the long run, being fat isn’t going to make you ecstatic.

So before you start thinking that starving yourself is the road to the land of the beautiful or stuffing your face is the way to deal with your emotional problems, think again. Getting together with friends over your favorite meal is certainly enjoyable but if you start obsessing over food, then you’re surely in deep trouble.

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