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10FEATUREDr. John-Hugh TAM, Specialist in Family MedicineDieting Pop Culture, Body Image Perceptions and Physico-Mental HealthPhysical and mental wellbeing have always been goals we strive for. In recent years, crash dieting has become a popular global phenomenon. Many people pursue the ideal of slimming down, hoping to achieve a slender figure and perfect appearance. However, we must recognise that such dieting can have negative impacts on both physical and mental health. The diet concepts derived from dieting can be described as diverse and plentiful, and even to this day, new concepts continue to emerge. For example, there was the %u201cSouth Beach Diet%u201d that gained popularity in the early 2000s, as well as recent hot topics such as the %u201cStarvation Detox Diets%u201d, the %u201cKetogenic Diet%u201d and %u201cIntermittent Fasting (16:8 method).%u201d Alongside these concepts, numerous weight loss supplements have also emerged, including endless range of meal replacement options and detox beverages.The impact of diet culture on physical and mental health should not be overlooked, and social media plays a significant role in this regard. For those who frequently use these social media platforms, it is easy to come across commercial promotions as well as celebrities and influencer shares related to dieting, %u201cbody sculpting%u201d, and weight loss. As society%u2019s pursuit of a slim figure continues to increase and with the advancement of photo editing technology, the public%u2019s aesthetic standards for body shape and appearance have become increasingly unrealistic and demanding. The pressure to achieve the %u201cperfect body%u201d can cause significant psychological stress and damage to self-esteem for those who cannot meet societal standards, particularly for women who may develop insecurity about their physical appearance. Similarly, men also face pressure to attain the promoted ideal of a muscular physique.A psychological study conducted in Florida, USA, revealed that both women and men tend to compare their bodies to those portrayed in the media. The study found that 87% of women and 65% of men compare their bodies to the images they see on social and traditional media. Surprisingly, in this comparison, 50% of women and 37% of men hold negative attitudes towards their own bodies. From a mental health perspective, excessive emphasis on dieting can have emotional implications, such as anxiety, depression, and decreased self-esteem. For some individuals, dieting can even become a compulsive behavior and may lead to eating disorders such as anorexia or binge eating disorder. According to the National Eating Disorders Association in the United States, 35% of individuals who engage in dieting develop unhealthy psychological and behavioural patterns driven by an excessive pursuit of perfection, which is detrimental to their overall physical and mental wellbeing.%u201cDieting%u201d, in general, is a method of restricting food intake with the aim of attaining weight loss. The origin of diet culture can be traced back to 19th century England when an undertaker named William Banting recognised that excessive weight was a symbol of wealth and social status. However, Banting believed that this %u201cexcess%u201d weight was detrimental to health. In 1864, he published a pamphlet titled %u201cLetter on Corpulence: Addressed to the Public,%u201d which gained popularity and sparked people%u2019s interest in their own body shape. In the 20th century, diet culture began to rise at the societal level, and new concepts emerged approximately every decade, capturing public attention. For example, in the early 20th century, the American food faddist Horace Fletcher proposed a theory suggesting that one should chew each mouthful of food 100 times to improve digestion. Then, in the 1960s, there was a wave of promotion of strict calorie counting to facilitate weight loss, with the rise of %u201cWeight Watchers%u201d and very lowcalorie diets (VLCDs). By the 1990s, there were various %u201cfad diets%u201d like the Atkins diet, which emphasised a lowcarbohydrate, high-protein eating approach, aiming to induce a state of ketosis in the body to utilise stored fat for weight loss.