Sophie Leung

Doctors and society are always telling us that we should eat more healthily… But does this create unhealthy pressure, and should we eat what we want without feeling guilty?  

In 2018-2019, according to ‘Statista,’ around 3,110 individuals in the United States died due to binge eating disorder, while another 3430 died due to other specified feeding and eating disorder. According to Public Health England, two out of 100 adults are underweight.  Millie, a student at Xaverian College said:  “I think that eating food makes people happy and people should be able to do what they enjoy.”  

Based on a 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, research states that 87% of British women regret what they eat, and between 1.25 and 4.3 million people) in the UK are affected by an eating disorder.  About 26% of people with eating disorders attempt suicide.  When constantly being told to eat healthier, it could cause many issues for many people, especially young adolescents who are vulnerable and prone to many mental health problems. Have you ever felt guilty after looking at the health information on the back of the package? Constant pressure may cause mental health issues, including feeling insecure about our bodies and eating disorders. So surely, it would make sense to just eat what we want? 

But some people may argue that eating healthy is essential in all aspects of life. According to the World Health Organization: “A healthy diet is essential for good health and nutrition. It protects you against many noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.” The Kansas State University says that good eating habits should start at birth. These habits will provide optimal nutrition for infants that will benefit them throughout their lives.  

The idea that we should eat healthier has been stapled into our brains since primary school. Of course, healthy eating has many benefits and reduces the risks of many diseases, as well as improving our mental health. Everyone knows the benefits, but according to the healthy eating statistics, few people apply them. According to a study carried out by the British Heart Foundation, it’s estimated that 200 million people are living with coronary heart disease globally.  

Doctors argue that we should prioritize our physical health, especially due to the staggering number of people being admitted into hospital each year. In addition to this, the number of people with cardiac issues is increasing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 356,000 people have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the United States, and around 60-80% of them die before reaching the hospital. Eating healthier could decrease the number of people being admitted into the emergency department, and therefore it would be less work for the NHS overall.  

So, eating more healthily is always a great idea, but it is also important to prioritize our mental health. Therefore, don’t feel guilty about eating your favourite foods! If you maintain a balanced diet, eating junk food should not be a problem. In my opinion I think that healthier eating pressures can be demanding, especially for the younger generation. In future, we should ease this more and allow people to eat what they want without feeling guilty.