September 08, 2007

“Saba! Come here and finish your lunch,” shouted Saba’s mother. “No mummy, I’m on a diet. I’m going to the gym and please don’t remind me to have dinner. I won’t,” Saba replied disobediently and went to the gym for a workout.

This is Saba’s daily routine. She’s used to skipping breakfast almost everyday, wouldn’t eat well at lunch time and also would try to flee dinner. Saba is among the many teenagers who are the victims of ‘slimming craze’.

“My dream is to have an ideal figure i.e. 36” 24” 36” and very soon I’m going to achieve it. Just a few more regular hard exercises and sacrificing my breakfast and dinner and all done,” says Saba whose hungry-looking face overshadowed her beauty.

The poor child is unaware of the fact that beauty is directly related to sound health that can only be achieved through a balanced diet that must include all nutritious elements. Her dream to become slim and smart is actually so hazardous that she will have to pay the price of it in her later life. Poor diet causes many deficiencies in the body and at teenage when the body is not completely built up, the deficient diet causes many complexities such as weak bones, anaemia and weak memory.

Teenage is the most sensitive period of one’s life because at this age, children’s minds are not fully mature and are easily influenced by colourful fantasies. The craze to become slim, which is found in both young girls and boys, is caused mainly by fanciful advertising campaigns in which beautiful stick-thin models influence youngsters to be like them. And raw minds of girls and boys start to compare those pictures with real lives.

Somehow, the responsibility goes to the media because the publicity campaigns leave a direct impact on people’s lives. The advertising firms should design such ads that compel the people to accept their bodies and be able to be happy with what they are.

It surely doesn’t mean that teenagers should not take care of their looks and physique but it should be done within limits. Regular exercise is very important to stay active and healthy but excess of anything causes harm, which is why it is advisable to exercise for only 30 minutes to an hour a day and not more than that. Besides physical exercises, three healthy meals a day (no junk food) and some mental exercises such as reading, chit chat with friends is essential to stay healthy.

Teenagers usually suffer from depression or mental fatigue due to hormonal imbalance and this depression causes sudden weight gain. They often misunderstand the cause of increased weight and start to miss their meals in order to lose weight. Instead of getting angry with food, you should indulge yourself in healthy activities such as reading, writing or friendly get-togethers so that your mind can relax.

While Saba has put her life at risk to get her desired figure, Kashif, 18, a college student, who was overweight in his early teen years, has now set an example to live a healthy and balanced life, for his generation.

“My classmates would call me bhaloo, when I was 14,” narrates Kashif, “I realised that I was overweight but I didn’t resort to exercise at once or skip my meals. Instead, I prepared a chart to follow a balanced diet and eliminated those foods from my diet that weren’t nutritious and increase weight.”

“Besides balanced diet, I also started to indulge in light exercise from 20 minutes a day to slowly increasing the period to one hour in the last four years. And look, now I am not fat at all. Instead I look great and healthier than all my friends.”

“And those who would tease me, now ask me the secrets of my sound health,” Kashif explains in an exciting tone.

Nowadays, we see a number of advertisements selling medicines that assure weight loss in a few days. “The most harmful thing is that people especially young girls and boys desire to become slim in just a few days,” says Farnaz, a gym instructor.

“If the weight is proportionate to height, there is no need to do tough exercises. Few light exercises are enough. But in case you are overweight, you shouldn’t think that weight can be lost in the blink of an eye. Because as the weight-gaining process takes certain amount of time, losing it too takes time,” explains Farnaz.

The dream to lose weight as early as possible urges the youngsters to take slimming pills that are sold on the guarantee of reduced weight in a few days. But in fact, these medicines are so hazardous and have a number of side effects that harm the teenagers in their later lives.

So, girls and guys! Looking good is everybody’s dream and indeed it’s the birthright of every human being to look good. But for the sake of ideal physique, please don’t ruin your health, which is the most precious gift of nature and that can’t be bought even by giving the wealth of this entire universe. Just try to accept your body — the way you look naturally — and be happy with your original looks. I’m sure this attitude will not only boost your confidence but also help you to stay healthy throughout your life.