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According to new research the promotion of healthy eating to fight obesity can drive some teenagers into eating disorders.

Also many adult women and men admit that the extremes of trying to eat healthy lead them into abnormal eating behaviors and later to a fully developed eating disorder.

So the question is how healthy for you is a “healthy eating plan” and diet?

From one point of view, it is good to make a healthy choice when you eat and it does help to fight obesity. But on the other hand there are people who get so obsessed with their eating habits that it becomes abnormal and absolutely out of control.

Most eating disorder sufferers say that their disorder started from a simple diet and trying to eat healthy. They also say that they became very emotional about their diet, weight and food.

For example here is a testimonial from a 24 year old woman who has been suffering from bulimia for the last 10 years: “It was very painful for me to hear people called me fatty and I began dieting. When I lost some weight people started complimenting me for the way I looked and it felt so rewarding that I only wanted to continue dieting and loosing more and more weight … I really associated loosing weight with a reward and big personal achievements, so I thought the more I do it the better I will become. And I pushed myself into an extremely restrictive regiment of diet and exercise.

Every week I reduced my calorie intake and increased the exercise time. Sometimes I was very hungry and felt jealous towards people who could eat whatever they wanted. I started dreaming about food – of what I would eat if I could.

Once I cheated and ate much more food then I planned to do. I felt disgusted with myself. Then I went to the toilet and made myself sick. This gave me an instant relief to my strained feelings.

On the next day I repeated it again, and again it made me feel better. I thought I discovered a new way to eat whatever I want and at the same time stay slim. I thought it was my own invention but it wasn’t and that was how my bulimia was born…”

This is a typical story of the beginnings of anorexia-bulimia. So the question is would these people have developed an eating disorder without initially going on a “healthy” diet and an extreme exercise regiment? Probably not!

In conclusion it is fair to say that eating healthy still should be a major part of overall health education in schools and in public education.

But teaching about balance regarding peoples eating habits is probably much more important than just healthy eating at all costs. Teaching balance is crucial for any health program if it wants to stop the spread of eating disorders.

It is all too common for women to worry about their weight. Women are socialized to think they need to be thin to be attractive and successful. We know better, we should be more concerned with our health than our looks. Nevertheless, we continue to diet and sometimes it is not very healthy at all. From our teens to adulthood as women we are sensitized to worry about our weight. Some women can escape the phenomena. They have either not had a weight problem or are lucky enough to just view and use food for what it is, fuel for the body.

Some men worry about their weight too, especially when it concerns their health. Men do not have the same pressure that women have about being thin. Some men would not eat unless someone put it in front of them or reminded them to. Women know that these are irrational beliefs yet we continue to worry about it anyway. Some women have an unhealthy relationship with food and end up with an eating disorder or dieting all their life. The media does not help the problem. As teens we look at magazines and dream of being thin and beautiful. As we age it can become a control issue, an emotional issue or just bad eating habits.

Promises of losing weight fast are in the media all over the place. Fad diets with quick weight loss promises lure us in to try them, only to be disappointed and out of the money we spent. There seems to be more new diets and diet pills coming around all the time. The newest trend is the cleansing diet. A diet pill will claim it suppresses your appetite, flushes all the toxins out of your body and provides all the vitamins and minerals you need. ‘Flushes’ should give us a clue; a cleansing diet may leave you running to the bathroom all day.

Losing weight fast is not worth the trouble and it is dangerous to your health. Your hopes will be shattered when you quickly lose 10 pounds only to regain 15 pounds just as fast. Losing weight fast does not work and it poses health risks.

Fad diets can rob your body of the vital nutrients it needs to function normally. This can leave you with untoward side effects such as dehydration, constipation, weakness, fatigue and electrolyte imbalances. Electrolytes help your nerves and muscles function. Your heart is a muscle. You can become very ill or even have a heart attack if your electrolytes and fluids are out of balance. The only way to lose weight and keep it off is to do it sensibly. A sensible diet balances all the food groups and includes occasional treats. A diet with 1500 calories a day can help you lose weight and learn how to eat right. You will not need diet pills because your body will be full and satisfied.

You need to add exercise to your diet to turn up your metabolism and start a lifestyle habit. Women in particular need weight bearing exercise to keep their bones strong. Walking is a weight bearing exercise and anyone can do it, just about anywhere. Once you reach your goal weight you can gradually add more calories to your diet. Most importantly, you have learned how to eat healthy, exercise and you have developed a healthier relationship with food.