Extremes

 "To be healthy, after age 30, most males require 2,200 to 3,000 calories, and women, 1,600 to 2,400."

I am trying to get fit and loose weight, along with millions of others at this time of year.  Basically i am just stopping the rubbish - crisps, biscuits, cakes, sweets, chocolate and puddings.  I am eating 3 meals a day and no more.  Its not particularly hard, just common sense.


While searching the web for inspiration for my blog today i came across a site i rather wish i hadn't.  It was a pro anorexia site.  Most of the posts were from girls aged 13 -17 from what i could see.  Photos of virtual children that looked worse than Auschwitz survivors were meant to be motivational and the diets on the site where based on less than 500 calories a day with fasting required every few days and immense exercise routines.  The kids on the site where begging for help and support to loose weight, for friends to talk to and tips and ideas on how to "extreme diet".  I read through a discussion board on how Christmas had been.  I was appalled to read that many of them were gutted to find that purging (purposefully throwing up food) was too noisy with family around so they "had" to digest it and then felt totally disgusted with themselves. 

My little girl is 8 and i cant bear the idea of her finding sites and friends that are pro ana (as its fashionably called now) and i will do my best to influence her in healthy eating when i can.  I refused her a cake this evening saying that if i couldn't neither could she.  She asked why i couldn't have one and i replied that i had eaten way too much of all sorts of bad food over Christmas so was giving my body a rest from it now and hoped to loose some of my tummy so i could have more fun with her in the summer.  She thought that made sense and didn't mention the cake again.

What is it about us humans that make us go to extremes ? why cant we just take things in sensible measures ?

Yes that is aimed at me just as much as you !!