Are Diets Cutting Carbs or Life?

The debate over the female model often portrayed in magazine ads, television commercials, and various other media has been that they portray an image of a woman which is unrealistic. This very well may be true and it may be imperative to change this representation of what we hold to be beauty. However, what is more important is the effect it is having on the women in our community. The methods women are using to become one of the air brushed beauties which we see all too often in the media can be extremely dangerous for their health.

Young impressionable girls are looking up to these super models in these ads and realizing they are not like them. To be like them, they are realizing they need to lose weight. However, the problem is not that losing weight is bad; the problem is they are doing it in one of the worst ways possible which is endangering their health for mere aesthetics. Healthy ways to lose weight are available, however they are not fast. Those individuals who wish to lose weight must realize losing weight fast might seem wonderful; however most fast weight loss programs have disastrous effects on the human body. The best way to lose weight is with plenty of time and exercise. This not only improves the body’s well being physically, but it also achieves the goals so many women are striving for.

Nevertheless, the allure of losing a substantial amount of weight in two weeks or less under a dangerous weight loss plan may seem too inviting for some. One of these effective yet undoubtedly detrimental plans are those which focus on a zero carbohydrate diet. These diets emphasize the removal of carbohydrates from the diet which does invoke rapid weight loss, and however the proteins eaten may satisfy hunger, the fats which are needed by your body are not obtained. This may not seem like much of a problem at first; however after the body starts to use fat stored in the body it may not take it all from the perfect places which dieters hope for. Instead they may endanger their health by having fat removed from essential areas of their body such as the covering of fat around nerve cells in the spine. The fat present in these vital areas is essential to protect these cells, and if this fat is broken down it can result in very serious health issues. Spinal nerve cells are only one of the countless places where fat is crucial in the body. Limiting or completely removing carbohydrates from one’s diet is therefore not a healthy way to lose weight.

Therefore, while losing weight on these miraculous diets, dieters may also be losing their lives instead. Yet, some think this risk is enough to take to lose the amount of weight these low carb diets profess. Ironically it seems many, although not all, of low carb dieters after losing weight in the first six months of their program backtrack and gain weight as they approach the twelfth month. With all these risks it would seem it would be obvious these diets are the wrong choice. Yet, it seems the constant taunt from the media’s ads hawking the female form in its “perfect” form has too strong of a hold on these individuals. Although the air brushed beauties may therefore seem out of reach by normal healthy means this is not the case.

A healthy way to burn fat, and lose weight is through vigorous exercise. The problem most individuals have with this simple solution is it is too difficult; however losing weight is not an easy thing to do in a healthy way. It requires effort, determination, and resolve, with most importantly countless hours. Through hard work fat can be lost in a healthy way, however most choose the quick fix over the healthy solution.

In the end the problem can lie at two places in our society. The problem is either our image of beauty has become distorted, or our determination has fallen apart. The image or beauty portrayed in the media may be a bit too idealistic, however it is not unachievable. It is possible to achieve this image of beauty through hard work, even if it is not the accurate image of beauty. All things considered, individuals must determine what their image of beauty is in their own minds, and reach these goals in a safe healthy manner. Low carb diets are not the answer; they are only attractive due to their phenomenal quick fix appeal, which has turned out to be a mere fa�§ade.

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