“Oh my God, do you know how many calories that has in it?!” Screeches a friend of mine at lunch, looking disgustingly at my cheeseburger with all the toppings as well as my french fries. No, actually I don’t ever know how many calories are in what I eat. Whoops. Why does that seem to be everyone’s obsessive-compulsive statement when food is placed in front of him or her? Or my other favorite past time is turning on the TV to see women whose legs look like an upper arm. Over the past 50 years, the typical hot woman has gone from the curvaceous size 10 Marilyn Monroe to the size zero Paris Hilton. Everywhere men and women look, magazines, TV, movies and tabloids show us that skinny is in, the less body fat the better. This, as we all know, has a startling affect on the male and female psyche.

According to ANRED (Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc.) one percent of females between the ages of 10 and 20 are starving themselves because they hate their own bodies. So one in 100 girls you know didn’t eat this morning, won’t eat tonight and is hurting herself every day. Four percent of females ages 10 – 20 has bulimia, that’s one in 25 girls that you know that binge and purge on everything they eat. Not to mention, 20 percent of those girls will die from trying to obtain the media’s deemed perfection. Ladies, you can’t deny that you’ve gone a day without eating to fit in that perfect dress for that hot date. Was he worth starving your body of healthy nutrients? Doubtful.

I know it sounds cliché that every woman has a different body, and that motherly statement of, “You are beautiful the way you are” is absolutely horrendous and gag-worthy, but true in its own respect. You want to lose weight, do it the right way, people. Maybe the reason we have obesity in this country, along with guys and girls with eating disorders, is that society dictates to us how we should look. If your mom says over and over to do something, eventually you either rebel or comply. If all you think is skinny, skinny, skinny, you’re either going to get fat from giving up or hurt yourself.

I went to a dance last year and a week before the dance the zipper on my dress was just a tad snug. My friend’s first reaction was for me to crash-diet for a few days and it would be fine. I bought a new dress instead.

One can’t walk into a bookstore nowadays without seeing row upon row of diet and health books containing the “secret” to the perfect body. Maybe the secret is eating properly and exercising moderately. I am in no way saying there is anything wrong with watching what you eat and exercising – we all should. But when you cross the line from watching your diet to eliminating food to lose a pant size, you are unnecessarily hurting yourself. If you want the bowl of ice cream or those french fries, don’t torture yourself wondering if you should or shouldn’t eat it. Life is way too short to deprive yourself of something that is going to make you happy. And we all know food of one type or another makes us as human beings happy. So stop stressing over pounds. Don’t live your life on a scale, because that is no life at all.

We all know that TV isn’t real, so why should anyone obsess about trying to look like who they see on television? Trust me, that actress has cellulite, ladies, and his six-pack abs aren’t that perfect, guys.Photoshop is any celebrity’s best friend.

So eat that burger, love that milkshake and if someone has a problem with it, chuck a french fry at them.

About the writer:

Rachel Carey is a sophomore political science major. She can be reached at [email protected].