Anorexia in middle age: Don't let the obsession of "youth stay forever" hurt you

On November 6, the Economic News Network of Buenos Aires, Argentina, published an article titled "Anorexia in Midlife: Don't Let the Obsession with "Youth Forever" Ruin Health", written by Natalie Rogers. The article analyzes "anorexia in midlife" from multiple angles, and points out that people should achieve a balance when maintaining vitality and restoring self-confidence, and do not let this pursuit become an obsession. The full text is excerpted below:

The pandemic has claimed the lives of countless people around the world, almost violently awakening a social consciousness that in order to enjoy a good quality of life, we must let health care be the protagonist in our daily lives.

In many cases, however, this translates into a deep concern for eternal youth and an excessive pursuit that, instead of promoting healthy behaviors, affects mental health.

Interpretation: Obsessed with "forever youthful"

Anorexia in midlife can be understood from multiple perspectives. In general, this problem is attributed to insufficient acceptance of age and obsession with "looking forever young" and involves extreme behaviors that can endanger overall health.

"When we try to conceptualize middle-aged anorexia, we can look at it from three different perspectives: fear of getting old; obsession with beauty; immature and extroverted personality. While it may be a combination of these three factors, one of the questions we must ask ourselves is, is it normal or morbid? Psychologist Jose Dominguez said. Dominguez is an expert in studying personality disorders.

Dominguez said that in terms of manifestations, middle-aged anorexia can be divided into negative and positive types. "You may see a positive type where the person is completely receptive to his or her age but more respectful and caring for himself than when he was younger and maintains a healthy lifestyle; instead, the negative type can be seen as a behavioral disorder that causes adults to indulge in maintaining youthful, attractive and exaggerated beauty," he said. ”

Q&A: Attachment comes for a reason

Why do these obsessions arise?

Dominguez said: "When we talk about personality disorders, there are usually innate factors because heredity plays an important role, and the others are acquired factors, mainly from the social pressures faced at different stages. These factors can cause a person to exhibit these behaviors, which, as we said, can become pathological and harmful to the body and mind at some point. It would be a behavioral disorder. Factors in the case of anorexia in midlife include a person's desire to always be the focus of outside attention and use their appearance to attract the attention of others. ”

What health problems does it cause for people?

Dominguez points out: "Although we are talking about people who have a high self-esteem, they tend to fall into severe depression when they don't reach their goals. As for the impact on physical and mental health, it can be multifaceted, as problems arise when beauty and health are confused and can get into trouble due to excessive dieting or unnecessary surgery. ”

Does naming it middle-aged anorexia helps solve the problem, or is it just an unnecessary label?

Dominguez said: "It's really a term coined by the British media a few years ago and today it's a topic that many countries around the world are talking about and getting a lot of attention, but we can't guarantee that it will be identified as a mental health disorder after some time. Since it does not yet exist formally as a disease, targeted treatment is still sparse. ”

Prescription: The Pursuit of "True Health"

Renowned trainer Daniel Tangona said: "Today's beauty institutions can't really solve the problem, many people just want to get younger through botox, never thought there was a heart and body to consider. If your body is not in good internal condition, no matter how much Botox you use, aging will manifest itself in appearance and will be reflected in your attitude towards life. I'm not against any aesthetic medicine, on the contrary, I'm very much in favor of keeping people alive and regaining the confidence they've lost in this pandemic. But this must strike a balance. ”

Tangona calls for protecting one's health while not allowing this pursuit to become an obsession. Here are his recommendations: get the necessary checkups and lower stress levels; eat a healthy diet; keep hydrating; keep exercising; take regular deep breathing, which can help lower blood pressure and heart rate; get enough sleep; and don't compare yourself to others.

Source: Reference News Network