The Importance of Body Image in Super-Aging

Body image

Body image has an important impact on how you feel about aging. There is a direct connection between body image and self-esteem: they reinforce each other. If you have a positive self-image, you will not only feel better about yourself, but also pay more attention to what is happening to your body and your appearance.

In the past, men were concerned about how their bodies functioned, and women were concerned about how they looked. Today, both sexes are concerned about both their looks and their bodies.

Remember, both the look and the body will change no matter what: they will not survive ravages of time and decades of changes despite all your efforts. However, preserve what you have for longer, and this is one of the objectives of this book.

Body weight

Your body weight determines your body shape, which defines your body image.

An ideal body weight is anti-aging. In fact, your body shape is a reflection of your overall health. Good weight management is important to remaining younger and healthier for longer. In fact, it is so important that Americans are spending billions of dollars every year just to keep them in better shape. Sadly, many are lost in this battle of the bulge.

Why fad diets don’t work

There are many fad diets, such as the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet, among others, touted to make you lose weight and help you solve your health problems.

Unfortunately, most fad diets don’t work; and they cannot make you lose weight—at least not permanently.

When you go on a diet—any diet, with no exception—your body’s metabolism immediately starts to react and to slow down. Initially, you body loses only water, not your weight. Your body learns to adjust to the reduced caloric intake—this is only basic human survival in response to starvation; in other words, your body simply burns fewer calories. So when you stop the diet or start eating again, your metabolism rate goes up again, but not necessarily back to its original level.

Worse, if you jump from one fad diet to another, your body's metabolism rate might become dysfunctional due to constant fluctuations, such that it would no longer burn fats efficiently. That explains why you might still gain weight even when you eat less than before.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau