VIP Class Notes (Vicki)

Vocabulary

obsessed – too into sth. or sb.
i.e. I am obsessed with him.

vulnerable – weak physically or emotionally
i.e. Because I just broke up with my boyfriend, I am very vulnerable right now.

orthorexia nervosa – 健康食品强迫症

malnutrition – 营养不良
i.e. The kids in Africa tend to get malnutrition because they don’t have enough food.

likelihood – the chance
i.e. The likelihood of that happening is very small.

Do you like to keep fit? We’re always told that regular exercise is good for our body and mind. More and more people are taking up activities that improve their fitness. But is there a risk some of us might get obsessed and overdo it?

Well, for some people, fitness has become an obsession as they aim for perfection. And fitness trackers and apps can add to this addiction, especially if someone is driven by achievement and perfectionism. And sharing data on social media means exercising becomes public and competitive, which could cause problems in someone who is vulnerable.

Experts say this can lead to a medical condition called orthorexia nervosa, or addiction to ‘healthy’ eating and over-exercise. Untreated, it can lead to malnutrition and mental health complications. According to a BBC Worklife article: “Research from scientists at University College London in 2017 found that higher Instagram usage was associated with increased likelihood of developing orthorexia, especially among followers of the ‘healthy eating’ influencers.”

Read the rest of the article

Too much exercise can also take its toll on someone’s physical health as well. Symptoms of over-exercising include injuries such as stress fractures, tendinitis and a low immune system. So how much exercise is too much? Research by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found the ideal pace to jog was about eight kilometres per hour – and that it was best to jog no more than three times a week or for 2.5 hours in total, showing that moderate jogging is possibly more beneficial than being inactive or undertaking strenuousjogging.

If you’re more of a couch potato than a sprinter, this might sound like good news. But for amateur athletes who can’t help but push their bodies to the limit, the advice from Martin Turner, a sports and exercise psychologist, is, “it’s all about letting go, not being obsessed, learning not to control everything, saying, ‘You don’t need to be perfect.’”