Diets should be Banned
One of the health complications affecting the globe is the problem of obesity. The affected strive to lose the intemperance weight in numerous approaches, such as dieting and exercising. Even though health professionals advocate for a change of lifestyle, dieting as the better approach to most of the population is more dangerous as it affects not only humanity but the environment. Dieting refers to the restriction given to oneself to small amounts of food with the aim of losing weight. In addition to the problem of obesity, some specific body types are being idealized everywhere, from movies to advertisements and television shows. The body can either be a stick-thin or six-pack ab figure (BBC, 2012). In the course of achieving this thin healthy, perfect look, people who struggling with their body shapes end up taking risky measures, such as dieting, which could be detrimental to their health. On this basis, the study argues that diets should be banned.
Dieting bears a negative implication on the society hence it should be banned. In reality, the younger generation desire to remain attractive and have a zero size. In this process, they diet, an action that results to lose of self-confidence and other diseases such as anorexia nervosa. Encouragement and following of dieting indirectly contributes to defining of a low self-esteem society (BBC, 2012). Additionally, encouragement of diets has traversed to social conceptions on the real definition of beauty. Through the advertisements, consumers are led to believe that dieting results to more beauty, a perception that has led to the belief that dieting is the only strategy to gauge whether an individual is beautiful or not. This has resulted to the belief that the big bodied and the fat individuals are ugly (BBC, 2012).
Moreover, dieting has resulted to the belief that has made people disregard the essence of dieting. The public goes to greater heights of losing weight, strategies that negatively portray the dieter. Possible approaches of losing weight include consuming untested diet pills, and avoiding staple foods for some period. To make it worse, the drugs sold for losing weight have not undergone thorough medical tests and lack licensing. It is therefore uncertain the effects it may have in the consumers. According to BBC (2012), dieting makes the female gender feel like they are in control of their surrounding; the effect is that these people tend to crave for products, which have been restricted. Instead of going without meals or using pills to reduce weight, it is advisable to eat numerous proper meals and healthy foods in addition to exercising. These strategies will result to an inner satisfaction of feeling and looking good.
On the other hand, diets should not be proscribed to the public since it has numerous challenges, given that diets trickle down to personal choice and hence cannot be restricted. It is wise to take note of the purposes of dieting (Dixon, 2008). Just other things like cigarettes and alcohol, diets should be promoted just like, which are equally perceived as unhealthy to human beings.
Instead of investing in banning dieting, better alternatives to promote the healthy alternatives should be introduced (Dixon, 2008). Rather than bombarding people with information against dieting, better healthy diets should be introduced to offer better choices for people to choose from. Additionally, dieting should be promoted as it offers a good alternative of staying health, without much marketing or business addition.
Impact of Diet to our Surrounding
It has often been assumed that dieting is the better approach for personal health due to its known benefits. It is however staid that minimal information is known regarding the negative effects of dieting to the environment. Personal choices on daily eating profoundly affect the atmosphere. This implies that modification in eating habits can be one of the most effective ways of preserving the environment. It is auspicious that the better choices for environmental benefits are healthier and more delicious. Numerous types of foods are present for an individual to choose from which are rather environmental friendly. Meat is among the most desired meals although, it takes a significant toll on the environment as raising of animals demands more land and resources, which is unlike growing of vegetables. According to Reinjnders & Soret (2003), farming cattle results to significant destruction of the rainforest, while eating of vegetable meals reduces the effects on the environment. To introduce balanced diet in the meal, an individual can go for fish, which is rather sustainable and as fish is, lower in the food chain.
Instead of wasting foods, individuals should reduce such wastes to further minimize loss of natural resources from the environment. Minimizing food wastes reduces environmental influence of eating habits. It has been realized that at least 14% of the entire solid wastes accounts for food wastes (Reinjnders & Soret, 2003). To reduce such wastes, the public is encouraged to plan their meals strategically. Instead of eating lunch and other meals form the groceries, lunchtime meals can consist of leftovers. Globalization has made it possible for foods overseas to be transported to nearby shops. This benefit is associated with environmental costs incurred by tucking large farms across the country rather than buying locally produced goods (Reinjnders & Soret, 2003). By opting to eat goods locally produced, carbon footprint is condensed by reducing the emissions in transporting the goods. This option encourages giving up of foods such as exotic fruits or indulging in them sparingly. The diet of an individual may fluctuate based on the local production but carbon emissions are drastically reduced. In addition, indulging in organic foods tends to reduce the amount of chemicals traveling into the ecosystem. This habit enables farmers to apply integrated pest management techniques rather than use pesticides and herbicides that affect the environment.
References
BBC. “Magazine ‘miracle’ diets should be ‘dropped’” 2012, December 27th
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-20849476
Dixon, Suzy. “Planning to tone up in 2008? Then lose the word ‘diet’ from your vocabulary,
says Nell McAndrew” The Telegraph. 2008, 2nd January
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/wellbeing/diet/3352746/Weight-loss-The-word-diet-should-be-banned.html
Reinjnders, Lucas & Soret, Sam. “Quantification of the Environmental Impact of Different
Dietary Protein Choices.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2003. Vol 78(3)
baljv.prosper.se/home/miljo/dokument/quantification_of_the_environmental_impact_of_ different_dietary_protein_choices_2003.pdf