Article 114: Can Waist Corsets Make You Slimmer? Psychological Misconceptions
Some young women today consider a slim figure and tiny waist to be beautiful. To achieve this goal, besides extreme dieting, they also tighten their belts, even to the point of causing wrinkles on their waists. They don't understand that the size of the waist is determined by both the amount of fat and the tension of the diaphragm. If one doesn't address the root cause by strengthening abdominal muscles, simply relying on external constraints won't eliminate excess abdominal fat; it will only push the fat to the sides of the waist, creating an unsightly hourglass shape and hindering its overall beauty. More importantly, waist-tightening can also lead to adverse health consequences.
It turns out that, apart from the kidneys and ureters attached to the posterior abdominal wall, most of the abdominal organs are digestive organs. The stomach in the upper abdomen acts as a conduit, processing food into coarse and fine parts before sending it to the intestines. In the intestines, digestive juices secreted by the liver and pancreas are needed for complete digestion and absorption. The remaining waste is then pushed into the large intestine and excreted. If the waist is constricted too tightly, it first compresses the stomach in the upper abdomen, reducing its capacity and hindering the passage of food into the intestines, preventing timely digestion and absorption. The constricted waist also affects the normal blood supply and peristalsis of the small intestine, impairing its digestive and absorptive functions. Furthermore, the large intestine, shaped like a "7," is divided into three sections, affecting its normal peristalsis and defecation. Therefore, constricting the waist can disrupt digestive function, leading to loss of appetite, indigestion, constipation, and eventually malnutrition. Adolescence is a period of rapid physical and intellectual development. Malnutrition can affect normal physical development, leading to anemia, decreased immunity, lethargy, dizziness, and physical weakness, which can seriously affect learning or work.
To achieve a slim, well-proportioned, and fit figure, physical exercise is the primary method. It's important to understand that a slim figure isn't achieved by corsets, but through exercise.
Many people hope to lose weight quickly in a short period of time. Experts point out that the causes of obesity are complex and varied; overeating, metabolic disorders, internal diseases, and the use of certain medications can all lead to obesity. Therefore, blindly pursuing weight loss without identifying the underlying cause is unscientific and futile.
Obesity is a long-term process. Therefore, weight loss should also be gradual. Many weight-loss foods and drinks on the market that claim to be highly effective contain diuretics, laxatives, and other ingredients. While these may cause short-term water loss and make the user appear to lose weight, the weight quickly rebounds, failing to truly reduce fat and proving harmful with long-term use. Furthermore, many weight-loss devices on the market are actually quite ineffective.
Some teenage girls, fearing obesity, obsessively pursue a slim and attractive figure, thus restricting their diet excessively. This results in weight loss, malnutrition, weakness, and ultimately, amenorrhea. Amenorrhea refers to the absence of menstruation in girls by age 18 (primary amenorrhea) or the cessation of menstruation for more than three months not due to pregnancy, lactation, or menopause (secondary amenorrhea). The causes of amenorrhea are varied. Anorexia nervosa leading to weight loss is one of the important causes of amenorrhea during puberty.
In normal women, upon reaching puberty, the pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain and about the size of an apricot kernel, secretes large amounts of gonadotropins, prompting ovarian maturation, ovulation, and the onset of menstruation. These gonadotropins are glycoproteins. Individuals lacking protein nutrition cannot secrete sufficient gonadotropins. Scientists have conducted experiments on small animals, finding that prolonged starvation leads to pituitary gland dysfunction, preventing the secretion of large amounts of gonadotropins and causing the ovaries and other reproductive organs to atrophy and lose function. The same applies to humans. Doctors have also discovered that some young women, even after regaining their appetite and gaining weight, may still experience amenorrhea for many years. This is because prolonged starvation damages the pituitary gland, and its function cannot recover immediately.
Whether someone is considered obese differs between men and women. Due to different physiological characteristics, a healthy male physique is characterized by well-developed muscles, while a healthy female physique is characterized by abundant subcutaneous fat, particularly noticeable in areas such as the breasts, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs, creating a distinctively fuller female figure. A normal young man's total body fat accounts for only about 15% of his body weight; while a normal 18-year-old girl's total body fat should account for at least 23% of her body weight. Research suggests that this is the minimum fat level required for them to conceive, give birth, and breastfeed in the future; levels below this can easily lead to primary amenorrhea. Therefore, only when a woman's body fat accounts for 30%–35% of her body weight, and a man's exceeds 25%, can he be considered obese.
Hospitals now offer several methods for assessing obesity, such as using a skin fold caliper to measure the thickness of subcutaneous fat. If you're worried about being obese, consult a doctor for a diagnosis. Don't torture yourself by starving yourself, as this can lead to illness.
In short, women who obsessively pursue a slim figure are prone to amenorrhea. Young women with anorexia are advised not to tighten their belts and suffer from hunger for the sake of a temporary slim figure, as this will interfere with normal physiological functions and even affect their future fertility.
Those who have tried dieting to lose weight have almost all adopted an "extreme" food intake method. For example, some people only eat vegetables and fruits, avoiding all meat, while others can eat meat but avoid staple foods like rice and noodles. This is precisely why they fail to lose weight. A research institution in Baltimore, USA, called the "Weight Control Center," found through experiments and surveys that many dieters fail because they don't consume enough calories or choose the wrong types of food. Therefore, if a diet plan makes you feel lacking in energy, abandon it immediately, because it's simply not suitable. The secret to effective dieting while maintaining energy is: eat less but better quality food, while increasing exercise. Here are six new "dieting" guidelines:
(1) Consume sufficient calories: One of the body's functions is to reduce calorie consumption when hungry. Therefore, starvation cannot achieve the goal of weight loss. People should consume sufficient calories according to their age, gender, activity level, and height to maintain normal metabolism and increase consumption on this basis. They should not disrupt the balance of bodily functions and create a vicious cycle during dieting.
(2) Eat a varied diet: The key to maintaining energy lies in a balanced diet. Vitamins and minerals help people convert nutrients and energy from food. American nutritionists believe that people must eat grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and meat and eggs every day to ensure a balanced diet. Therefore, eating a little of everything, but in small amounts of everything, is the wise choice.
(3) Take it easy on your calorie intake: If you don't eat for 5 to 6 hours, your body's energy will be depleted, and you will feel tired. This is like a car running out of fuel. Therefore, refueling in time is the only way to ensure you have enough energy. However, you must avoid over-refueling and keep your energy level moderate.
(4) Ensure adequate iron intake: American nutritionists believe that fatigue is directly related to iron deficiency. This is because iron is an important component of red blood cells. Only with sufficient iron intake can red blood cells properly supply oxygen to muscles. Meat, poultry, fish, grains, dried beans, and dried fruits contain a large amount of iron.
(5) Replenish body fluids: Dehydration is also one of the causes of fatigue. American nutritionists recommend drinking 8 to 12 glasses of water a day. Drink water before, during, and after exercise.
(6) Maintain gentle exercise over the long term: Some people who are trying to lose weight say, "I don't have the energy to exercise anymore." In fact, exercise can increase your heart rate, promote blood circulation, and improve the oxygen supply to muscle tissue, which will make you feel energetic. If you are too busy to exercise, you might as well climb a flight of stairs every day or get off the bus or train one stop early and walk to your destination.
Losing weight is not a game; any rash or unscientific approach may result in harm to the body or more worries.
(1) Low-calorie diets can lead to sudden death: Reducing food intake and restricting calorie intake is a common way to lose weight, and it can indeed achieve good results if you stick to it. However, it should be done in moderation. The total daily calorie intake should not be less than 2,500 kJ. Research by Dr. Greenway of the University of California shows that if the daily diet provides less than 2,500 kJ of calories, it can endanger the heart. In mild cases, it can cause changes in heart rate, and in severe cases, it can cause the same heart disease as those who starve to death, which can lead to sudden death, medically known as sudden cardiac death.
(2) Strict vegetarianism leads to hair loss: Statistics show that the number of people experiencing hair loss has increased threefold along with the "weight loss craze," with 20% to 30% of them being young women aged 20 to 30. The problem lies in the fact that the main component of hair is a protein called keratin, which contains a significant amount of trace elements such as zinc, iron, and copper; however, people who follow a vegetarian diet to lose weight only eat vegetables, fruits, and flour, resulting in insufficient intake of protein and trace elements, causing their hair to fall out due to severe malnutrition.
(3) Rapid weight loss can lead to gallstones: Reports indicate that approximately one-quarter of people who pursue rapid weight loss develop gallstones within the first 2-4 months, with the incidence rate being even higher (over 30%) among those who undergo surgical weight loss. Why does rapid weight loss lead to this? It may be because when energy supply decreases drastically, the amount deposited in tissues surges, causing bile to become viscous, precipitate, crystallize, and weaken, making it difficult to empty in time, thus promoting gallstone formation. Slowing down weight loss and adhering to a plan of no more than 500 grams of weight loss per week for three meals a day can prevent the development of gallstones.
(4) Excessive weight loss can lead to memory decline: Excess body fat can stimulate the brain, accelerating its ability to process information and enhancing short-term and long-term memory. Individuals who are 15% overweight score at least 28 points higher on intelligence tests than those of average or underweight individuals. People who are 20% to 35% overweight are the most intelligent, while women who diet to lose weight all experience varying degrees of memory decline, with the greatest memory loss occurring in women who diet for the longest time and lose the most weight. Therefore, to protect your brain function, weight loss should be approached with extreme caution.
(5) Weight rebound leading to heart disease: If weight loss methods are unreasonable and cause weight rebound, it can lead to heart disease. According to a survey by American researchers, this has become a major threat to men over 40 who are trying to lose weight. Combined with the risk of chronic infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis, the incidence of gastroptosis, depression, and malnutrition is also increasing. Therefore, those trying to lose weight should adhere to a combination of diet and exercise to consolidate their weight loss results, maintain a stable weight, and prevent rebound. If you lack this determination, it is better not to lose weight at all, as maintaining a stable weight is more beneficial to your health.
(6) Amenorrhea caused by weight loss during puberty: For women, there is a reasonable choice of timing, and weight loss is not advisable during puberty. This is because adolescent girls need to accumulate a certain amount of fat (about 17% of total body weight) to ensure that menarche occurs on time and maintains a regular monthly cycle. If weight loss is pursued blindly, the reduction of body fat can delay menarche, and those who have already started menstruating may experience menstrual disorders or amenorrhea.
(7) Infertility due to weight loss during reproductive years: Women of reproductive age also need to accumulate sufficient fat to fulfill the responsibility of childbirth. Dr. Frisch of the Harvard University Population Center proposed that women need to accumulate 22% of their body weight before pregnancy to be able to conceive, and more than 28% to have enough energy reserves to sustain the "ten months of pregnancy" and the three months of breastfeeding after childbirth. Globally, women in developed countries generally have a body fat reserve of more than 30%, while some economically underdeveloped nomadic peoples have less than 20%. Therefore, the average age of menarche is delayed by 2 to 4 years, and their age of conception is 4 to 5 years later than that of developed countries.
(8) Weight loss during breastfeeding harms the baby's health: Weight loss requires limiting fat intake, and fat is an important component of breast milk. When breast milk cannot obtain fresh fat from food, the body's regulatory system will use stored fat to produce milk. However, stored fat may contain substances that are detrimental to the baby's health and development. Therefore, it is not advisable to lose weight during breastfeeding and should be postponed until after weaning.