What are teenagers known for? Rebellious behavior? Phone addictions? Social media? Yeah. It’s all of that and I’m guilty of doing everything I just listed. But what I have never understood is diets. Especially diets for teenagers. Where I spent most of my life it was normal for every teenager to go on a diet at least once a month. And the pressure we were put under to be skinny not even healthy just skinny was horrible. Now I don’t want anyone to misunderstand. It’s great to be skinny but it is even better to be skinny and healthy nobody should ever put pressure on themselves to change their body to fit anyone’s ideal.
What is a diet?
A diet by definition is the amount of food consumed by a person. A diet by my definition is the type of food consumed by a person. A normal healthy diet should consist of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean protein, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products. An average teenage girl should consume 1,800 to 2,400 calories. A teenage boy of average height and weight should consume around 2,800 calories per day. There are many different types of diets, for example, paleo, whole foods, vegan, low carb and etc. Personally, I do not like any type of diet because I have observed my family members and teenage friends that are on diets complain about how they do not have enough energy and they seem so unhappy with the results even after the diet. All diets lack some nutrients that are essential for your body. Another reason I do not like diets is that after you do it for a long period of time it is really hard to reintroduce any other type of food back into your system. Suppose you go on a low carb diet for three months and after three months you need to start introducing bread and pasta back into your system your body will reject it because now it is practically a foreign substance to your body.
I understand why people are so for diets but I also understand why people think it is horrible for your body and you should never go on a diet. It is true that diets help you lose weight fast but it is also very true that diets/restrictive eating is a form of disordered eating because you are suppressing your body’s need for a substance. Disordered eating does not only mean not meeting the needed calorie intake of a person it also means that too much of a nutrient can be bad for you. Binge eating.
Over the years, diets have grown immensely popular among teenagers. Disordered eating is not only a problem for American youth but it is also a problem for teenagers all over the world. Many people have said that a lot of improper diets lead to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. It is sad to say that I know people that have been diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia. I also know one too many teenagers that use laxatives. Any disordered eating is extremely bad for your body and can cause significant problems in the long run.
As I mentioned before, I am against the idea of diets but I am not against the idea of trying to get fit and maintain your health. There are many other methods to lose weight or stay fit that are much healthier than a diet. For example, counting your calories really does help a lot like keeping track of what you consume on a daily basis. Exercise is always important even if you are really busy try getting up out of your seat for 30 minutes a day and walk around loosen your muscles. But to be completely honest exercise is only 40% while what you eat is 60%. What I do every Sunday is meal prep. I make all my dinners for the entire week like I will cut up all the vegetables and so I can put together a quick dinner that day.
To sum up this entire post: I am very much against diets mainly because I believe they are a waste of time and are unhealthy. I do not wish to see someone I love damage their body or mentality just to fit someone else’s ideals. If you know someone who currently has problems with an eating disorder but won’t ask for help remind them that they are beautiful just the way they are. I know it may seem cliche but it’s true. So, be healthy, happy, and stay beautiful.
Certain diets can be healthy. It is essential as humans to get the necessary vitamins each day. But some diets such as cutting out meat can limit how you get essential vitamins and minerals. I believe that diets that need to be used such as for food allergies are okay, because otherwise eating those food would be worse for you and your health than eating them and ignoring the effects the allergy has on you. You blog is very insightful and I enjoyed reading it.