In the wild era in which we live from looks, we give full importance to our physical appearance. We are enslaved to fit and meet the standards of “beauty” imposed by society, the great legacy left by the twentieth century. We find meaning in our lives by dedicating ourselves to “Fitness”; we transform all aspects that surround us towards it. Naturally, many young people worry about their appearance, however, obsession opens the door to a dreaded disease, the “Fitness” fever.
One more addiction
What is supposed to be a lifestyle becomes a threatening vice. Thus, some of the common symptoms are exercising five hours a day in the gym, continuously recording the calories consumed at each meal with applications using Smart-Phones apps, and developing many eating disorders in order to maintain the intended shape finally reached. This epidemic is due to the inability of the parents who support their children who also get pushed by their friends, which makes it extremely contagious.
At the first stage of fever, social life passes into a second level, where socialization disappears slowly with the sole purpose of following the drastic routine. Life is programmed in order to worship the physical appearance without exception. Ironically, one will want to be classified as “Fit”, the maximum price an individual can get, which certainly confirms the infection while one becomes proud of it and of one’s shallowness.
Consequently, the carriers of the fever reject who seems to be immune to the virus, the one who feels totally comfortable with himself, in order to make him or her acquire the disease. What causes the most concern in me is the effect of the fitness trend on the mental stability of the individual since one starts living in fear and anxiety.
The concern
The obsession with achieving physical perfection leads to the hopelessness of doing when no human being can be perfect. No one can reach fictional standards.
What annoys me is the desire to emphasize the importance of the views of others over the personal view; we rely on the judgments of other forgetting our identity, losing our subjectivity against a foolish and empty aspect, as giving importance to the physical and not the interior. A major controversy caused by the epidemic is the inability of creating self-awareness in people since it encourages self-criticism.
While attempting to lead a healthier life, many people end up developing eating and mental disorders. People who fall into this because of the disease are rejected, “Fit” becomes intolerant to those who need help in order to get over obstacles. Once the individual acquires a real disease because of the trend, he or she is considered unreasonable and obsessive when the true obsession is developed since the beginning of fever.
The real opinions of people are hidden so they aren’t classified as “junk”, or immune, taking into account the role of the individual, which is to be totally devoted to the body that ultimately decomposes just as everyone’s regardless of the physical appearance in life. Another great product from the plague is the consumption of different types of supplements (lethal poisons which worsen the fever) in order to possess the cherished figure in a shorter time.
In other words, these speed up the process until the virus turns terminal. Similarly, instead of seeking help for being healed, infected organisms seek to be more and more involved in the use of supplements; which are consumed without parental authorization, since parents try to avoid the side effects that affect health.
The real problem
The real problem is the distorted image of fitness we face nowadays.
Being fit means the condition of being physically healthy, but we try to achieve being “Fit” in an unhealthy way. The trend also leads to the feeling of pleasure with the idea of eating “organic” products, with 0 calories or preservatives which are sold at high prices in the market in health food stores.
This idea sells to the public a fake image of what is actually healthy and what to eat in order to have a balanced diet. It’s sad that the market sells so many products for greedy purposes, promoting the spread of the pest. Ironically, these stores sell a variety of supplements.
We are not perfect, as humans we face setbacks and triumphs and we cannot allow our vital purpose to be achieving the perfect physique. As a result, we would achieve our self-destruction for a stupid superficial reason that will only be a temporary satisfaction.
What comes after the fit state? In the process, we lose the ability to truly evaluating what is important for our life, our feelings, and the relationships we have with one another.
We prefer to isolate by following the lonely crowd, while not giving importance to enjoying life without stupid concerns. Personally, I suffered the disease as a result of being pushed by my friends, many of whom are still infected. I was tremendously scared with every meal I ate, with each unburned calorie until I exploded and everything went out of my control.
I was on the edge of desperation, battling between my needs and goals. I struggled with my own health in order to belong to Fit group. I came to the decision to satisfy my inner desires without trying to please others about my exterior after reflecting through my purposes.
It’s hard to stop thinking about the moral implications of Fitness, but gradually you can consider another way of life, where we can find the true sense we have as humans. Like drugs or alcohol, the obsession with the body is a vice in which one wakes up suddenly.
Concluding
As young people, we are vulnerable to all and even more to what most of society encourages us to do.
Strong support is essential in order for us to have a guide who corrects us; otherwise, we will face the consequences. We should not blame ourselves for not having an orientation, it is not our fault after all but we must find someone reliable. One must have the power of believing one has the willpower to decide autonomously, while we move away from the evil to which we are exposed.
This is a unique antidote, an excellent solution, and depends on each one to decide whether to take it or not. As members of society, we must help those confused that fall into the fitness fever by the misconception that flows between us. We have no choice but to seek and care for one another. Definitely, one should not deny the importance of exercise and a healthy diet, both critical to our health, but limits should be set for nothing is good in excess. We must find a balance and our individual happiness because, at the end of the day, everyone faces life alone, we are born alone and we die alone.
