Chapter 9 discussed topics regarding weight management and body image. The chapter gave insight on the health effects of obesity, drastic weight-loss measures, and understanding and improving body image. The first topic I found interesting was the effects of obesity. I learned that obesity doesn’t just affect one part of the body, but rather the whole body. Obesity is a rapidly increasing cause of preventable death in the United States. Obesity is increasing the rate of depression and anxiety disorders, causes high blood pressure, higher triglyceride levels and decreased HDL, which can lead to the development of cardiovascular disease. I found that obesity can affect a person’s reproductive system to be the most interesting, especially in pregnant women, in which it increases the risk of birth defects, and increasing the risk of fetal and maternal death.
(Donatelle, 2019, p. 205)
The second topic that I found interesting to learn about were the drastic weight-loss measures. In my nutrition course last year, we learned about the different types of weight loss measures, which included the familiar surgical procedure, gastric bypass and liposuction, and the surgical procedure I am not too familiar with called biliopancreatic diversion. Gastric bypass is when an individual’s stomach is seventy percent sutured off. Having this much of the stomach stitched reduces food intake. Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery, which is when fat cells are removed from a specific area of the body. During a biliopancreatic diversion, this procedure reduces the size of the stomach, but in a smaller amount compared to a gastric bypass. With any type of surgical procedure, there are often risks associated with it. The risks of gastric bypass include blood clots in the legs, pneumonia, leakage in the staple line, and possibly death. With biliopancreatic diversion, there is a greater risk of complications and death. Severe scarring, and death have resulted from liposuction, and it is likely a patient will have to require multiple surgeries in order to repair uneven surfaces.
(Donatelle, 2019, p. 217)
Lastly, I found that understanding and improving our body image was an important topic in this chapter to read about and learn from. According to a recent national poll, 53 percent of men and 67 percent of women were reported to be concerned about their appearance regularly. Having unfavorable thoughts and feelings about one’s body can have negative effects on the health and life of that individual. A negative body image is when a person has a distorted perception of his or her shape or when a person has feelings of discomfort, anxiety, or shame about their body. It’s important for everyone to learn to love their bodies, and to gain a positive body image, which is a true perception of the person’s appearance. Having a positive body image allows that person to understand that everyone is different. At the age of two, I was burned by hot water that left scars on my right arm and neck. Growing up, I found it difficult sometimes to show my scars because kids my age or younger would stare at my arm or would ask me what happened. I felt self-conscious and wanted to have two “normal” looking arms, that is, two arms with no burn scars running down to the top of my hands. I didn’t hate my body, but there were times where I wished otherwise that I didn’t get burned. Reading about the factors that influence body image, I can agree that social media plays a key role in negative body images. When I browse the explore page of Instagram, I see models who have flawless skin, and who look beautiful at every angle, many who don’t have scars like I do. My family and friends see a strong young woman, not the burns that I perceived as “ugly” when I was younger. However, as I am getting older, I’ve learned that these scars are a part of me, and rather than tearing myself down because of it, learning to embrace them is an important step to a positive body image. Some days it can be difficult, such as meeting new people, but most days, I forget that they are there.
(Donatelle, 2019, p. 219)
Health Aspect
Compared to last week, I had a much better week. I accomplished my goal of going to the gym, and better yet, I ran a mile under ten minutes! Although it was only by eleven seconds, I still feel proud of myself. It wasn’t easy, but accomplishing my health aspect made my week a lot better. Aside from the gym, I went on a hike at the Blue Hills and the weather was perfect. I love taking walks and taking in the view of Boston. Being able to clear my mind and destress while still being able to be outside is a great feeling. For lunch, I went to La Paloma with my family and I had to get dessert. The churros are amazing and just what I needed after a hike!
Health Aspect 