Al-Masry Light / “Diet” is harmful to mental health: a study confirms

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A study, published in the Journal of JAMA Pediatrics, warned that an urgent desire to lose weight may make teenagers overestimate their weight, prompting them to follow an obsessive diet.

Scientists from University College London said that more British children are exercising specifically to lose weight compared to 1986, in which they found that 60.5% of British girls and boys, between the ages of 14 and 16, had exercised to lose weight, compared to 6.8% in 1986.

The study also showed that adolescents tend to exercise with the aim of losing weight only, as they do not like activity or prefer to improve their health, which led researchers to worry that fighting fats may lead to directing healthy young people with normal weight towards eating disorders, such as loss of appetite. .

According to government figures in Britain, 20.1% of children between the ages of 10 and 11 in England are obese, and 14.2% are overweight.

In this regard, Dr. Francesca Solme, from University College London, said that the results of the study reflect the profound effects on the mental health of young people, as efforts to lose weight may have “unintended consequences.”

And “Francesca”: “Following a diet that is generally ineffective in the long term can have greater effects on mental health,” which was proven by the study after examining data from more than 22,000 adolescents, to show that some of them suffer from negative effects on health. Mindset, they feel depressed and stigmatized for failing to lose weight, even if it is idealistic.

The study indicated that girls, who were trying to lose weight, were more likely to have symptoms of depression compared to previous years, while girls were more likely to follow a diet to lose weight.

Regarding the negative effects of an ineffective diet, Francesca explained: “Following a diet can lead to eating disorders across the full BMI range, and not just among adolescents who are within the normal BMI range, so people generally tend to associate eating disorders With low weight, but eating disorders can occur at any weight, yet they are overlooked in people who do not have low weight.

“Increased diet and exercise to lose weight, as well as concerns about body image, are worrisome trends,” Francesca added. Lead to poor physical and mental health throughout the lives of individuals. ”

Regarding the change in the purpose of exercise, Dr. Pravitha Battalay, of the University of California, said: “It seems that young people are exercising for different reasons than they did before. And a sense of health ».

“Societal pressure on girls to be thin has been around for decades, but body image pressures on boys may be a more recent trend,” she said.

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