The Weight Loss Genie

Loosing weight in America is a very thorny issue with many teenagers, especially teenage girls running the risk of becoming anorexic, bulimic or victims of many other eating disorders. Weight loss, for those who really need it is the practical thing to do; for most though it can also turn into a horrible nightmare affecting the victims in a variety of very unsavory ways that can even cause death. It is very important that you know when you need to lose weight and when not to. This will guide and protect you from becoming a statistic of the weight loss industry.

Looking in the mirror or using weight scales is usually not the appropriate way to determine if you need to loose weight. Because for some people, loosing weight can become a very personal thing, you may consider going on a diet if you compare your body weight with that of someone else the same size as you and you believe that you are at least 20 lbs overweight. But before you take any action your first port of call should be your doctor’s office. Your general practitioner will be able to tell you after conducting some tests if your weight is normal for your body type. This is the best way to go to make sure that you remain healthy physically and emotionally.

There are times, however, when you think you definitely need to lose weight. One of those is when you try to emulate your favorite celebrity. One thing you must understand is that most of your favorite celebrities are not as svelte in real life as they look in their shows. Often, models and actresses are airbrushed in photos to look more toned and they have personal trainers who work with them for hours every day in order to help them stay in shape. If your body weight is normal, you do not need to lose weight, even if you are a pants size bigger than your ideal celebrity.

You also do not need to lose weight just because you gain it. People gain weight for a number of reasons, and this is especially common during puberty and for the few years after. If you gain weight check out the rest of your body—are you going through a growth spurt in height as well? Also, don’t worry about gaining weight when you are lifting at the gym. As you tone your muscles, you will look better, but because muscles are heavier than fat, you may actually gain weight.

Lastly, you don’t need to lose weight simply because someone else makes a rude comment about your looks. People can be cruel, some not realizing that everyone has a different body make up. If you are happy with your weight and it is within the normal range for someone your age and height, than chances are that the rude comment is stemming from other issues, not because you actually do need to lose weight. Be happy with yourself and eat a healthy diet and you shouldn’t need to worry about losing weight.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 20:10 and is filed under Body Image. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.