The weight debate

Growing up in London, I've noticed several changes to eating habits throughout the years. For example, gone are the days when you'd have to travel a few miles just to get some fast food. In fact, I distinctly remember back in the late 90's being so surprised whenever my mum would bring home a batch of fried chicken... and only once every month or so- if I was lucky. Nowadays, however, there seems to be a fast-food joint on practically every street, selling takeouts at very low prices ("2 burgers and 2 chips? That'll be £2 ma'am" o_O). This has contributed to the increased levels of chubbiness.. so yes.. in this entry I'm going to hop aboard the weight debate train.

Now, I wouldn't say I have a particularly healthy diet- but I am making the changes. Being of Somali origin, the standard food made at home is often either Bariis (rice) or basto (pasta). Thankfully, we are a more varied in the foods we make at home, cooking different things on a regular basis- most of which are significantly healthier. Also, the Somali community seems to be learning to accept a healthier way of eating- which is essential in lowering the incidence of diabetes, high blood pressure..high cholesterol... conditions that continue to plague our community and impact lives worldwide.  

Top: Example of a healthier lunch; Below: Selection of cakes.

Granted, health should always be a vital consideration when making lifestyle choices- from exercising, to drinking plenty of water and eating healthier...but let's be honest, it's not the easiest of things to keep up when you're constantly surrounded by temptation. That coffee you like so much? 220 calories. That one slice of pizza? 240 calories. Soon it starts adding up, and before you know it, you're 10kgs overweight and saying you've tried "everything" but can't shift it. Yup... story of my life -_- 

In reality, a persons weight should not determine the way they see themselves. It's as though most women are programmed to think they must be a set way or a set size, or there's something lacking. Granted, people all over the world succumb to social pressures one way or another- whether it's on the way they should be, look or act. In the west, for example, although curves are more accepted and seeing overweight/obese people is more common- there's still pressure to be slim. To look as though you practically walked off a runway. As unattainable as this may be, you'll often find women regularly on a diet or with a gym membership they might not even use... and trust me, I've been there T.T 

My latest obsession ^^ nomnomnom

Furthermore, depending on where you go in the world, people have their own idea of what is a "healthy" weight or an ideal size is. Take Mauritania for example...

Mauritania in West Africa. Image modified from Google images.

It has been well documented that in certain parts of Mauritania, men prefer to marry women that are thicker and have more weight to them. So much so that young women are sent to be force fed in camps- eating as as much as 16,000 calories a day before they are married off. So whilst western women are buying Bio-oil and Coco-butter to reduce stretchmarks, over there women with stretchmarks and some extra fat are deemed to be beautiful. The "Ideal" image of what a woman should be (see BBC article: LINK).

Even in other parts of the world (mainly in African countries- Somalia being an example), a woman with some extra weight is seen as a symbol of heath as it shows she is not malnourished. This may be an antiquated notion in the western world, but there have been examples of similar behaviour seen over time in the west in which fuller figured women were considered ideal (Peter Paul Rubens paintings are a key example of this).

Obviously these days we know that obesity is not something to be taken lightly, as it can lead to many health complications- which can also be the case if someone is underweight. Rather, it would be nice to just try and be healthy instead of going from one extreme to another, and respect out bodies a little more. I, for one, intend on doing just. We'll see if I can stick to it in the long run- inshaAllah.

:)