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According to the experts, constant images of ultra thin models encourage an unhealthy desire in other people to imitate them, but now they’re warning the battle for size zero is not only putting our weight at risk, but also our brain. New research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry states that studies on animals show that starvation followed by binging on highly palatable foods, such as burgers or chocolate, can lead to a desire to over-consume and engage in addictive behavior.
If you starve yourself, you then might overeat. You can’t keep a starved state going. It is dangerous because it affects the way our brain works and the whole of the rest of our body. And it can lead us to overeat and become unhealthily obsessed with our food. So, binge priming is quite a dangerous way of acting.
The size zero debate reared its head at last year’s London Fashion Week as protests were held against the use of skinny models. But some model agencies reject women for being too thin. Emma Jane Dolphin is in one of those agencies. At size 14 she believes keeping healthy should be a model’s priority.
It’s primal that you, you know, that you eat when you’re hungry. And if you’re being deprived of that, then you’re not gonna to be relaxed. Then your nervous system is gonna be working overtime, this is just gonna lead to all sorts of problems and illnesses later on. So I think, you know, eat regularly like everyone else.
It’s hoped today’s revelations about the threat of famine-then-feast behavior will encourage those trying to achieve size zero to consider the longer-term effects and perhaps ask the question, is it really worth it?
Rachel Phillips, ITV news.
WORDS IN THE NEWS
1. size zero
Size 0 is a women's clothing size in the US catalog sizes system equivalent to a UK size 4 or a Europe size 32-34. It is also a concept within the fashion media relating to models with low body mass.
2. starvation : n-uncount
Starvation is extreme suffering or death, caused by lack of food.
3. binge : verb
If you binge, you do too much of something, such as drinking alcohol, eating, or spending money. (INFORMAL)
4. palatable : adj
If you describe food or drink as palatable, you mean that it tastes pleasant. (FORMAL)
5. burger : n-count
A burger is a flat round mass of minced meat or vegetables, which is fried and often eaten in a bread roll.
6. rear its head : phrase v
If something unpleasant rears its head or rears its ugly head, it becomes visible or noticeable.