reading 7: Dieting

Assalamualaikum and good evening. Hi Mdm. Today, I would like to comment and response to the article of Dieting: A Waist Is a Terrible Thing to Mind. This article covers a wide range of current issues relating to the phenomenon of weight control issue relating to physical and mental health, as well as the part played by commercial providers of weight loss products. The author also provides up-to-date information based on recent research into weight loss. The text is taken from “What you can change and what you can’t in The complete guide to self-improvement, by Martin Seligman. In Dieting, Martin Seligman informs people about the dangers and pitfalls of commercially available weight loss programs. He also provides an extended warning to readers that they should believe the claims made by commercially-driven product providers. Seligman suggest that there may be good evolutionary reasons for the more-you-lose-the-more-you-gain principle. It means that if we try to lose weight, our bodies’ rebel.

However one point which needs further explanation is what he means by ‘natural weight’. He does not really define this term and one is left with the feeling that ‘natural weight’ is the weight you happen to be. On the other hand, he does say that ‘natural weight’ is the weight from which point is difficult to reduce. Seligman itself also failed in attempts to lose his weight. He said that one cannot avoid the suspicion that the term ‘natural’ has been coined to provide an excuse for his own inability to attain the ‘ideal’ weight. Seligman without doubt views weight loss as a matter of commercial gain rather than as medical advantage. In addition, the real beneficiaries of weight loss products are not the consumers, who may indeed be harmed, but the unscrupulous producers who earn their living from exploiting the insecurities of others. The consumers are cast as victims, unable to resist the pressure to be dissatisfied with their own bodies. Seligman argues strongly that weight loss is not a matter of will power but depends on accepting our ‘natural’ weight. It follows that people who fail to lose weight are not their fault. at first glance, overweight people may not appear to have any problems, but behind their chubby faces and pot-bellies, they are just medical time-bombs waiting to go off.

An overweight person has increased risks of failing prey to hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, cancer and many other debilitating disease. these potentially deadly conditions are in addition to the sheer weight that the person have to lug around everyday, making it hard to walk for a distance, climb stairs, or even just to get up from a chair. As for me, I think it is no fault to be in average size because there are people who do not like their body shape even though their shape is already suits them but still they feel uncomfortable with their body shape. Sometimes I also feel like my body shape not suits me because I think that from day to day, I become fat and fatter. I insist on taking dieting pills but I’m scared with the effect that perhaps would bother me in the future. But still I’m trying to use the cream that will decrease my weight and my mom is like an assistant to me because she is helping me in finding the cream that could decrease my weight even though at first, she told me that I don’t need the cream as I’m not too fat. As for the people who have weight problems, i think that it is better for them to find any solution such as taking dieting pills but with the doctor's instruction because if the taken of dieting pills were overdose, it might have side effects on the health problems on the body itself.

Being weight is certainly no fun, and is definitely hazardous to health. unless the person has some kind of illness that causes him or her to be overweight, it is possible to reduce one's weight with proper diet and exercises. It is better to keep within the normal range and stay healthy as much as possible. Living is much more pleasant and enjoyable without weight problems. Actually I would like to comment more but I think this could be enough to read by everyone especially Madam. Hehehe. Thank you for your attention. Hope we could have a briefly conversation regarding this topic that I think is interesting to be shared in the next class.Bye bye… =D