Freud & and the Psychology of Fad Dieting...hee hee

[Meg Boyd]

Ok, this was a paper I had to write for a health education class. However, I was also learning about the Freudian Id, Ego, and Super Ego in my Literature class...and I got a bit too creative in the process of writing a paper about the dangers of fad diets. The end of the paper is actually real, but I think the beginning is actually kinda funny because it started as a big joke and I ended up with an A on it...hee hee hee...<3 Meg

Fad Diets and the Freudian Id, Ego, and Super Ego and the Society Around Them

In his novella Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad shows his readers the dark side of imperialism and colonization through his shockingly graphic representation of the Freudian levels of the subconscious, the id, ego, and super ego. Each part of the subconscious brings a different level of conflict to Conrad’s protagonist, Marlow. After facing such subconscious conflict, Marlow ends the story with a self-destructed body and persona. In much of the same way, the frequent use of fad diets can be related to the three levels of the subconscious, the id, the ego, and the super ego.

The Id is the amoral level of the subconscious. This level reveals a persons deepest, child-like wants and desires. Often these desires are harmful to one’s well being and are over ridden by one’s ego. The ego is the level of the subconscious that brings compromises to the table. It likes to be fulfilled but realizes the cost of such wants and needs. Finally the super ego is the body’s own critic. No one person is good enough for their own super ego. The super ego criticizes in a harsh way trying to improve its person.

Food has always been a source of comfort to people. Not only does it nourish one’s body it also nourishes one’s soul. In times of stress, some people turn to food as a way of comfort and relief. In times of stress and strife, people wish to retreat to their childhood wanting whatever they want whenever they want it. Of course their ego recognizes this as an effort by the id as a way of dealing with the stress, and since amoral desires are harmful, the ego finds its own way as a compromise to deal with the stress and strife. In a normal way to comfort one’s body the ego retreats to the basic of human comfort, food. As in any situation the as a body consumes more food, the chances of unhealthy weight gain can occur.

The Super Ego judges one’s body and image in an attempt to make better their situation. As stress and strife is “healed” with comfort food recommended by the ego, the super ego recognizes the new shape of the body as not desirable to it standards. With this discovery the super ego criticizes its body and mind telling that they are not good enough and that their body must change and improve. Enter the seemingly quick way to loose weight, the fad diet.

Another look at it is that people are judged by society to be a certain size and shape. The society around people can act just like an overly critical super ego and torture a person into drastic measures to loose weight. Again the use of the fad diet comes into play. As people use the various types of fad diets, they are usually unaware of the dangers to their own health that come with omitting anyone of the food groups. Along with omitting food groups, fad diets are also centered on various rumors such as that grapefruit, and other acidy foods, burn fat. A simple rule of thumb when learning about new diets is that if it sounds too good to be true, than it is.

The Cabbage Soup Diet, which is currently being circulated, is an example. This so-called fat-burning soup is eaten mostly with fruits and vegetables. The diet supposedly helps heart patients lose 10-17 pounds in seven days before surgery. Does it sound too good to be true? That's because it is.

Fad diets violate the first principle of good nutrition, which is to eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods. No "superfoods" exist. That's why people should eat moderate amounts from all food groups, not eat large amounts of a few special foods. Fad diets also violate a second important principle of good nutrition: that eating should be enjoyable. Fad diets are so monotonous and boring that it's almost impossible to stay on them for long periods. Fad diets can also be very dangerous. For example, a liquid protein diet, using digested collagen with little or no essential substances added, became popular several years ago. However, in 1977 this diet was blamed for at least 60 deaths. Fad diets fail to provide ways to keep excess weight off. Because fad diets require drastic changes in eating patterns, dieters can't stay on them for long. Fad dieters don't learn anything about permanently changing their eating patterns.

American Heart Association nutrition experts recommend adopting healthful eating habits permanently, rather than impatiently pursuing crash diets in hopes of losing unwanted pounds in a few days. Despite what fad diet books may say, the only sensible way to lose weight permanently is to eat less and maintain or increase physical activity. Some major medical centers prescribe extremely low-calorie, high-protein diets for selected patients, who are carefully monitored by physicians.

All in all fad diets are unhealthy and can be extremely dangerous to one’s well being. Fad diets can be jokingly looked at as the product of the self-destructing conflict of one’s subconscious levels, however in reality the use of fad diets are self-destructing ending in up in a stretched out metabolism, decreased longevity, and even death. So in the end just as his subconscious conflict destructed Marlow from Heart of Darkness, fad diets can destruct its users.

[pinky p]

well, you've convinced me not to go on a fad diet! although, i wasn't plannning on going on one still, i like your paper

the id, ego, super ego... i think my super ego lost itself somewhere along the way.... i seem to be stuck on the ego phase of things