When Weightloss Becomes Dangerous

Throughout this semester, I have blogged on the importance of a healthy lifestyle. This includes the foods you choose to put into your body, and the ways you work out your body. I have always emphasized that I do not set any numerical goals. What I mean by this, is that I don't set any specific weight goal, or measurement goals for my body. I just try to eat the best foods I can, and work out in a safe and healthy manner. I feel that as long as I feel good about my body, that it was I consider healthy.
Some people take a "healthy" lifestyle too far. One may get carried away with restricting themselves and forcing themselves to work out. When someone becomes so obsessed with the idea of weightloss that nothing else seems to matter to them, it is called an eating disorder (Staff). This can become very dangerous and crosses the line of a healthy lifestyle, into an extremely unhealthy lifestyle. Most of the time, this is almost out of a person's control. It is considered a mental illness, instead of a physical one.
There are a few main types of eating disorders that are recognized around the world. The American Psychological Association defines these as:

• Anorexia nervosa: Individuals believe they’re fat even when they’re dangerously thin and restrict their eating to the point of starvation.     
• Bulimia nervosa: Individuals eat excessive amounts of food, then purge by making themselves vomit or using laxatives.  
• Binge eating: Individuals have out-of-control eating patterns, but don’t purge

These disorders can affect anyone, including both men and women. These conditions can be just as dangerous as any physical illness, because the mental illness is so severe that it affects the person's body. Many patients must be admitted to facilities to help them relearn how to react to food and weight loss. In severe cases, medicine is needed to help the patient.
It is important to keep an eye on yourself when starting a diet change. It is easy to slide into an obsessive behavior when dealing with eating and work out habits. Personally, I see many women around me that have become obsessed with counting calories. All they do is make sure they stay under a specific number of calories for the day. This is why I try to avoid keeping numerical goals. I personally believe that it promotes unhealthy ideas concerning my self esteem.

Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Definition." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 08 Feb. 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/eating-disorders/DS00294>.

"Eating Disorders." Eating Disorders. N.p., 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://www.apa.org/topics/eating/>.

In Conclusion

This semester I was required to create and run a blog on a topic that I was interested in and passionate about. Though I did not exactly keep up with weekly postings, I still feel that this was an awesome experience. Not only did I get a chance to research a topic that I wanted to learn more about, I also got to become a part of a community.

When I first heard that we were going to be running a blog, I was super excited. I thought, "Well, that's going to be easy". Little did I know how little I knew. Throughout this class I have learned the difference between ranting and writing. Instead of just rambling on about any little thought in my head, I was required to map out and plan posts that were based off of research. I have had the opportunity to read and analyze other professional blogs, and see how I could improve my own. I have learned how to draw readers in, and how to make them take my writing seriously.

I think one of my favorite lessons during this semester was learning how to conduct good research. Instead of just typing a few words into google and citing the first link that comes up, I've learned to be more critical of where I get my information from. I have been taught to find exactly who or what is behind the data I'm collecting, how to tell if an article is biased, and how to recognize logical fallacies.

I think logical fallacies was the most helpful, because I see logical fallacies being used almost every day. Before this class, I could sometimes recognize that there was some sort of flaw in an argument, but I wasn't quite able to articulate what was wrong with it. Now, I know exactly how to spot a logical fallacy, and how to point them out and combat them in a respectful and intelligent manner.

In conclusion, I wish I would have run this blog a lot better. I would have posted weekly and found exciting new subtopics to research and discuss. This would have helped out any readers, but it also would have furthered my own development. I would have become even more involved in the blogging community of health and fitness, and I would have gained so much more knowledge on the subject for myself. Overall. this project was still fun, and I am satisfied to say that I have learned a lot. It's always a great feeling when you feel that you have been taught something that you can use in the "real" world.