Mirror, Mirror

When you gaze at your reflection in the mirror, who are you looking for — the thin woman or the healthy one?

Does your happiness hinge on dress sizes? Do you obsessively watch the weighing scale, rejoicing when you lose a kg and despairing when you don’t? Turns out, you aren’t the only one. A recent survey conducted in the four metropolitan cities by AC Nielsen has shown that a significantly high percentage of women in the age group of 18 to 50 years, belonging to affluent households, are unhappy about their weight.

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As many as 51 per cent of women in Delhi think they are overweight, followed by 40 per cent in Kolkata, 39 per cent in Mumbai and 26 per cent in Chennai. From these statistics, it is clear that Indian women are more preoccupied with their weight now than ever before. But does that translate into better health too, or are we missing the wood for the trees?

Optimal lifestyle

Nutritionists say that by concentrating on the number on the scale, we often neglect the more significant markers of good health, which include the right body composition, good immunity levels and the ability to pack in a great deal into the day. “The definition of health has completely changed,” says Madhuri Ruia, nutritionist and proprietor of Half, a functional fitness studio in Colaba. “Earlier, it meant the lack of disease. Now it means an optimal lifestyle.” In order to maintain this optimal lifestyle, the bio-chemical processes within the body that influence one’s metabolism and hor-mone levels need to be in ship shape. For instance, the amount of estrogen in the body has a direct bearing on the metabolism of fat. Hence, estrogen levels need to be in control in order to prevent the accumulation of abdominal fat, which increases the likelihood of developing diabetes and heart disease.

Waist watching

In fact, nutritionists say that one’s waist size is more worth worrying about than one’s weight. “The waistline is a very good indicator of one’s health,” says Sneha Hoonjan, head of the department of nutrition in Hinduja Hospital. At its narrowest point just above the belly button, the ideal waist circumference should be below 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men. “Your weight should be mid-line of the range that is recommended for your height, your waist circumference should be right and you should have a feeling of abundant energy,” says Ruia. “Whatever weight you derive based on these parameters, is the right one for you.”

Don’t obsess

While crash diets can help you lose pounds, they can’t help you right the wrongs that give rise to weight gain in the first place. “On one hand, the obsession with weight has resulted in a lot of deficiencies among youngsters,” says Hoonjan. On the other hand, she says, nutritionists are also seeing a lot of people with a new eating disorder called orthorexia nervosa that stems from an obsession with eating right. “They are obsessed to the extent that they miss out on many food groups. There are a lot of women who don’t drink milk or eat only apples, because they have fewer calories.” This too, can give rise to severe nutritional deficiencies.

Since weight loss is a gradual process that is determined by several inter-connected factors, it is best to focus on eating healthy, maintaining an active lifestyle and stop worrying about the rest. “There is a thin line between awareness and anxiety,” says Malini Shah, senior counsellor and psychologist attached to Aavishkar, a counselling centre in Mahim. “Awareness is a conscious decision to be healthy and keep fit. Anxiety is an obsession with weight. Ultimately, everyone’s constitution is different so be considerate to yourself.”