The Dieting Industry | What Really Goes Into Your Mouths

We are a nation obsessed by weight and dieting that’s for sure. A country so desperate to shed that extra pound (or even half a pound) just so that we can treat ourselves to a ‘well deserved’ glass of wine at the weekend. Yet I ask, are we simply living in denial about the fact that the majority of our diets are simply awful, and these days a lot of us are too lazy to walk five minutes up the road to fetch a loaf of bread from the local supermarket? What we need is change and we need it now.

I am no nutritional expert and will never pretend to be but one thing I am is honest. I am honest about the foods that I put into my mouth and the amount of exercise I carry out on a weekly basis. This is something I feel a lot of the UK struggle with, the secret eaters. I have done a lot of research into this just lately and it is really interesting what you can find. That extra bit of oil you use to fry your chips, that bag of crisps you sneak in before you go to bed, that one biscuit at lunchtime with your cup of tea; it all counts. We can no longer be affording to think like this. But what I do think is that what we need re-educating, from a young age especially on the good and the bad foods. Sounds silly really but I think it’s the only way to stop our nation becoming any larger and start being pickier with the foods we choose to eat.

We no longer need to struggle with fad diets or celebrity workout DVD'S. We can do this ourselves with just a bit of common sense and a whole lot of will power. This brings me to the topic I wanted to focus on today primarily, slimming pills, diet pills, whatever you want to call them. A multi millionaire business today, it seems as if everyone is trying them and nobody is really considering the risks. Just because you can purchase them from leading chemists, this does not mean they are good for you or will help you! Okay maybe they do work, but seriously are we not considering the risks of these pills? A lot of these pills are not even legal. The government have already banned the majority of them due to serious side effects including death! Slimming pills are not only said to upset the stomach, I can also imagine them to stop the natural intake  of vital nutrients needed to function, which is seemingly worse than dieting. At least with some diets like Weight watchers you are allowed to have the foods you love, just healthier alternatives which is exactly what I preach.

A popular slimming pill amongst dieters

The fact of the matter is we don’t really know what are in these products and what we are putting into our vulnerable bodies. Just when we thought our bodies haven’t seen enough mistreatment. Many companies including big leaders such as Ebay, Amazon and online chemists are raking in millions of pounds on desperate individuals who are apparently too ‘busy’ to go to the gym. In fact slimming pills can be divided into three groups. Firstly licensed slimming pills prescribed by doctors; unlicensed slimming pills available at private slimming clinics, and slimming pills sold over-the-counter. What ever happened to exercise and a healthy balanced diet I ask?

Fresh fruit and vegetables are key for a healthy diet

We hear so many horror stories today about slimming pills, and no I haven’t tried them personally but there is no evidence to prove that they actually work. We are just giving in to what we see in the media but we cannot simply trust what Beyonce or Kate Moss are doing. These probably have their own personal GP’s who can monitor their day to day activities, but for the likes of me and you all we have is a label which let’s be honest, doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I don’t for a second think it is worth taking the risk but the pressure to lose weight quicker than ever today is becoming more ridiculous by the second. Yes we are dealing with an obesity epidemic in the UK but quick fixes will never be the answer.

I was shocked to read the other day that Australia are now also struggling with the rise of obesity. In a country full of sunshine and supermodels, it’s hard to think of anyone struggling with their weight. However with the rise of fast food restaurants across the world and with less people walking or cycling, this was bound to happen. We are also constantly finding new apparently ‘healthy’ foods loaded with sugars and additives which is making a lot of us even more confused on what we should and shouldn't be eating and a bit less lenient to trust what we see on the packaging of foods. One thing is for sure, we are succumbing to advertising and following in the footsteps of America when it comes to eating big. 

Fast food may be convenient but it's putting our health at risk

Hopefully after reading this article those of you who are struggling with your weight, whether your'e a size 10 or a size 20 realise more than ever the potential dangers of slimming pills and  losing large amounts of weight in a short space of time. Remember to always check the label. Just because something has a lot of calories, this doesn't necessarily mean it is unhealthy and vice versa. 

For some healthy tips and recipes for all the family check out http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/change-for-life.aspx. Thanks for reading.

L.A

xox