Why slimming celebrities should get some sympathy
IF you have fat friends, you're more likely to be overweight too at least, that's the suggestion of a team of UK and Belgian researchers.
Based on data compiled from 27,000 people in 29 European countries, experts found that both men and women may be subconsciously influenced by how much their friends, family and co-workers weigh.
The UK/Belgian research team didn't look at whether the opposite was also possible – that is, whether or not losing weight could be influenced by those around you too. But a recent research study has suggested that the peer group a teenage girl associates with can influence not just her weight control behaviour but also what she defines as 'normal' in terms of body weight. Researchers discovered teenage girls who hung out with non-conformist groups or other kids who get into trouble frequently and skip school are more likely to be trying to lose weight than the girls who identified with the athletic kids.
It's claimed that high-profile example of this phenomenon can be seen in Cheryl Cole and Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud. In this week's Closer magazine, sources close to Cheryl claim the singer is 'thriving on the attention and sense of control she gets from being thin', and that her continued weight loss is a way of 'showing Ashley who's boss'. Indeed, the marital problems with alleged love-cheat Ashley seem to signal the start of Cheryl's weight loss. But now the couple have reportedly got back together, there's still no sign of Cheryl regaining her curves.
It almost looks like Cheryl is in a diet competition with fellow Girls Aloud member Sarah Harding to see who can be the skinniest. Sarah has reportedly been surviving on diet drinks and cigarettes to keep her weight down, says Closer. She too is looking worryingly thin .
"Women who live life in the public eye have to be very strong to cope with it," says Dr Peter Rowan, consultant psychiatrist at Cygnet Hospital Ealing's Eating Disorders Unit. "They can be criticised for being too thin or too fat, or too beautiful or not pretty enough."
But could either Cheryl or Sarah be in the first stages of an eating disorder?
"I wouldn't like to speculate, because without knowing them there's no way of telling," adds Dr Rowan.
"But to be Cheryl and to have to cope with marital difficulties in the full glare of publicity must be an enormous strain. An eating disorder could be one way of coping with it all. We should only try to be sympathetic and hope that she will find some help."
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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