Today’s guest was Ms. Ravina Jain, an image consultant and nutrition expert.  The discussion revolved around the topic of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, their causes, complications and ways to overcome them.

It was discussed that more often than not, what causes eating disorders are the unrealistic standards of beauty that we see in the media. This “size zero” culture has had an unfortunate and lasting effect on society and has fed the insecurities of young people who unwittingly aspire to achieve this status. What they do not realise is that in pursuing this goal, they compromise their health to a great extent.

The guest made the comparison of the “size zero” culture to the fairness cream industry. It is a culture that says a person’s appearance, be it colour, or size, has a direct effect on their success in life. It says that being fair and waif thin is something to aspire to. This has had a lasting and damaging effect on the youth, and society in general.

While the RJ spoke about a friend who had lost 20kg on a diet of just water, honey and chilli powder, Ravina recounted a story of a girl who went on a fast, drinking only water for weeks, which resulted in complications with her intestines. Her diet turned out to be fatal.  They stressed on the fact that there are no short cuts to fitness or weight loss. It is important to stay fit and healthy, but the best way to achieve this is to consult a fitness expert and nutritionist, who will be able to create a tailor-made plan.

It was also discussed that there are some body types, which even while healthy, may not be able to achieve the desired look because they are built a certain way. The advice given to these people is to accept themselves as they are, and to work on their confidence. There are few people who are able to achieve this, and carry themselves off with grace and style at any size, and still stay healthy.

Ravina concluded that the most important part of staying healthy, was staying happy and confident. It is not a matter of achieving a certain weight, but achieving a certain state of complete health.