shouldn't long to be thin

Five reasons why you shouldn't long to be thin

Sitting miserably at your desk staring at the one apple you’ve allowed yourself for lunch all in the quest to be thin? Well, stop right now as you could be doing yourself more harm than good.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be fit and healthy and we could all do with actually achieving the five portions of fruit and vegetables a day that nutritionists advise but constantly starving your body through drastic detoxes and diets in the quest to drop a dress size or three can actually leave you feeling, and looking, worse.

Here are the five reasons why you should drop the drastic detox:

Cold after cold after cold

If you’re not eating enough it’s more than likely your poor body isn’t getting enough nutrients to maintain proper cellular function, no, the Cabbage Soup diet will not provide you with all the vitamins your body needs to work. So don’t do it, not even for that bargain designer dress you picked up in the sales. Because if your body’s not working properly you’re going to end up with a lowered immune system and end up susceptible to all sorts of nasty viruses and illnesses doing the rounds, taking twice as long to shake them off as your healthy eating counterparts.

Blue moods

You know how your boyfriend gets moody when he only gets two Weetabix for breakfast instead of three? Well, multiply that mood by about a thousand and the result is how you’re going to feel constantly depriving yourself of one of life’s great joys day in, day out. Eating good food is not only good for our body but for our mind too as certain nutrients increase feelings of wellbeing, not to mention the joy to be had in meeting a group of friends for dinner and a gossip. How can you possibly recreate the glamour of Sex And The City while eating a miserable bit of lettuce and a still water. Yawn.

Old before your time

There is the adage that states, ‘past a certain age you have to choose between your bottom and your face.’ And as much as we hate to admit it we think it’s true. Look at any post-thirty celebrity, and for once this doesn’t just apply to women, all those skinny celebrities often look gaunt and no amount of professionally applied make-up can cover up great hollows in their cheeks. And gaunt faces look that much older. So yes you might have the bottom of a 20 year-old but turn around and any admirers of your tiny derriere are going to have a shock in store when faced with your haggard chops.

Infertility

Counting on being able to have a baby when the time is right? Well, Mother Nature does not like you messing with her creations and being severely underweight can have a huge impact on fertility with ovulation stopping when body fat drops to a dangerously low level. Yes, yes Victoria Beckham still managed to get pregnant for the fourth time looking hanger thin but is it a risk you want to take?

Men

Take your nose out of the celebrity/fashion mags for a second and dip into a men’s mag. You will not find any skinny size zero lass posing in her frillies as men generally don’t want to see skin and bone. They want women to look and feel like women. They like the differences between the two sexes. The softness and swell of your bum, hips and boobs are what draws them in. We might be constantly told that thin is beautiful but ask any man to define what beauty is and we bet our last quid he won’t say thin.

So, what's the point in having a wardrobe full of size six dresses if you feel too weak to wear them out? Now go cut yourself a slice of cake.