MORNING SHOWS PROMOTING NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE AND FAD DIETS IN PAKISTAN

Eating disorders quote: “We get so worried about being pretty. Let’s be pretty kind. Pretty funny. Pretty smart. Pretty strong.”

Dear Readers,

I’ve received many messages of complaints against morning shows  and their anchors promoting diets that are fad and dangerous.

An angry viewer emailed me:

 

“I’ve lived in Toronto for 10 years, coming back to Pakistan I was shocked to discover how much media has changed. These morning show hosts have nothing better to do but talk about diets, weight loss and how one should maintain themselves to fit in with society. I suffer from Bulimia. Every time I hear about a new diet, I want to try it and this results in me going for excessive binges late in the evening. Couple of weeks back, I was completely taken back by a comment from a female celebrity on Nadia Khan Show Fiza Ali. :

“I’m very look oriented, when I moved from Karachi to Lahore, I’ve chosen to socialise and integrate with people who are good looking”. Fiz Ali Actress/Model

I think this needs to stop. These diets need to be reviewed and should only be practiced after the consultation with a practiced qualified practitioner. ” Mariam 22 year old Lahore

MORNING SHOWS PROMOTING NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE AND FAD DIETS IN PAKISTAN

By Maha Khan and Yormi

Stop Promoting Fad Diets  and Glamorizing unhealthy body images.

Morning show hosts for years have been engaged in battle with their weight, but doing that, do they have a right to broadcast their personal on national TV and promote diets that are fad and devoid of aesthetics?

Good Morning Pakistan Nida Yasir is at forefront when it comes to questioning each TOM Dick and Harry that walks into her den about their weight. Her questions start with personal grooming, weight loss and how to lose weight and more weight.

What kind of a message is she giving to masses? Every other week without getting tired of this repetitive tirade, she invites jaded models actors on show that give tips on how to walk, breathe and live and all the time tips on how to look good, how girls need to be groomed, how they should apply make-up, how they should look , how they should walk.

To me, I see this as a deceptive formula or plan through which fear is being created into individuals, particularly by those who use all the male ups at their disposal to present themselves on shows which propagate the gospel of fear into the lives of their prey, their hosts, and viewers at home.

This has in a lot of ways transgressed so many into making them believe that they haven’t been created well or that they haven’t been shown the good side of creation.

These hosts fail to speak out the truth in their privacy, only the sugar-coated renditions from their lips to deceive and deposit fear and nepotism. These fears are being carried around by the listeners or viewers at home. They have in a number of ways affected the majority many and have helped in promoting weight loss treatments and drugs that are purely to satisfaction of its claim inimical to health on the sundry.

A question need to be asked; why are these celebrities and public figure faced with highly Classified EDs like Cancer, for an instance – and despite their money, they find it uneasy to combat it , probably leading to their death. They maintain figures and neglect the side effects which they will always fail to make mention of to the public.

A paragraph on girls and pressure of media to look good, advices from colleagues who are also victims, recommendations and all -this doesn’t help their cases. This is merely promoting negative body image and nothing more.

Nadia Khan Show- the host is not too far behind Nida Yasir. She came back on air after a long hiatus and so far every show talks about weight loss.

She gets the guests on the show to make juices, salads and always talks about detoxes. What’s shocking is how one of her guest, a popular model and an actress Fiza Ali made concoctions of juice that are inimical to one’s health. Everything was going to detox result in weight loss, actually not weight loss, but loss of water and minerals from body. She very arrogantly said, ‘I’m very focused on looks and socialise with people who are good looking’. Poor comment on that, I antagonise.

 

Has it not come to the minds of all that there are other very infamous (less popular) morning show hosts?

In conclusion, the Pakistani board should stand up to these shows and really make them aware that what they are doing is wrong. Yes women; mothers and house wives watch this show, but they get influenced and then their daughters emulate these ungodly behaviours. These women think fad diets are the solution but they are not.

These shows are contributing to low self-esteem and thereby promote negative body image for men and women.

I get traffic on blog where girls and boys are always searching for these weight loss products. These women have families too. Our so-called public figures, hosts, celebrities should stop all these soothe saying and spear us the embarrassment they invoke when they speak as regards eating disorders to the public.

We should be keen at finding solutions and not just jump into the air, just to take a selfie. They should mind and think deeply before they speak.

Nowadays every man that walks in on any of these shows is asked about his physique, beauty treatments he has and what he eats. How he builds his body, whether he uses women beauty products, natural applications from raw leaves, etc. This is challenging the masculinity of these men, their existence and all those things found to be manly in character, attributes, figure and appearances.

At the same time it is giving men a wrong message.

No diet should be used without a consultation from a medical practitioner; a doctor, a physician.