Eating disorder patients make peace with their bodies

Anxious for profits

"Discipline is freedom" is the mantra Bao used most to motivate himself while dieting.

It's also the advertising slogan of many companies selling fitness products.

Many businesses profit from this anxiety. Euromonitor International, an information consulting company, predicted that China's "light food" market will exceed 900 billion yuan ($125 billion) by 2027.

"Young people today are indeed willing to pay higher prices for healthy eating," said Wang Dan, head of a Beijing-based chain of light food restaurants.

"Most consumers are women, primarily seeking to complement fitness routines with proper nutrition while reducing sugar and carb intake. The universal desire for beauty means this market is likely to expand further."

However, there are real financial health costs if nothing is done to reign in obesity numbers.

By 2030, medical costs attributable to people being overweight and obese could reach 418 billion yuan, accounting for 21.5 percent of national medical expenses, according to the prediction in a report released by the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal in 2024.

Nonetheless, this does not change an individual's personal anxiety about weight loss.

Ni Zhe, a doctor from the Affiliated Mental Health Center of Zhejiang University's School of Medicine, said anxiety about weight is essentially an obsession with control.

"The number on the scale becomes the sole measure of self-worth for many eating disorder patients. Healthcare professionals should guide them toward learning to reconcile with their bodies," Ni said.

Bao said constantly worrying about his weight diminished his enjoyment of food.

"To make your body lighter, you must endure hunger," Bao said. "Seeing the numbers shrink on the scale made me feel like my life was still under my control. But the tighter you try to control it, the easier it is to lose control."

"During my dieting, I instantly calculated the approximate calories in any food I saw," Bao said. "Eating stopped being about enjoying food. My mind was filled with screaming calorie numbers."