Think before you jump on the ‘challenge’ bandwagon

It’s the age of social media challenges – from the recent ‘Kiki’ craze to formerly popular ones like the Ice Bucket challenge --  these random Internet phenomena have always captured the fancy of youngsters globally. In India too, and more specifically Chennai, most school and college students tuned into the whims and ways of social media have regularly taken these up with gusto. However, with 2018 being the year where being fit is the order of the day, these social media challenges today have one constant theme: diet.

Just a cursory look at a teenager’s Instagram or Facebook feed reveals a host of eating challenges presented by not just food bloggers or fitness models, but also their peers all around. A series of pictures that proclaim to be a ‘healthy lifestyle change’ followed by selfies flaunting washboard abs and toned legs is enough to influence even the most discerning of teenagers today. 

Who sets the rules and standard for these practices? Nobody really knows. The criterion is diverse too: anything from giving up sugar for two months to staying off fats for weeks, without taking one’s individual body specifics into account. All it takes is for one influencer or online celebrity to set the tone. For example, Gul Panag, the actor-politician, recently started a 21-day challenge on Instagram and Twitter. “Each time I’ve done a public challenge, it strengthens my own resolve and commitment,” she posted, inviting others to join. Her goals were three-fold: doing 30 minutes of exercise a day consistently, focussing on using food as fuel, and being mindful of thoughts and actions.

While some of these challenges genuinely add to the body’s health quotient and are undertaken for the right reasons – with proper guidance and motivation – many times, it’s just mob mentality, peer pressure or just social media validation kicking in, often leading to disastrous results. 

Nutritionist Minacshi Pettukola says, “Such eating or health challenges are very subjective. These are some of the pros: the competitive spirit kicks in and people really want to play the game right to achieve a feeling of accomplishment. Also, they can be goal-oriented; like losing weight with an upcoming wedding in mind, and so. But the cons are that once the challenge is done and dusted after a month, they tend to fall totally off the bandwagon. For instance, a sugar craving may persist, and they could binge even worse than earlier.”

She recommends a more balanced approach to this, “Cutting back slowly and gradually is better. Pashing out is also easier when done in small measures. Similarly, people should keep in mind that while taking on challenges that are themed around no carbs, less or zero fats, that it can affect their normal routines.”

Psychologist Mini Rao adds that the problem is that many youngsters start such practices, but hardly finish it – and the repercussions are bad. “Also, this fitness craze has increased teenagers depending on supplements. Instead of eating healthy veggies, they binge on these pills. I’ve had many parents come and complain to me about their children overdosing on so-called supplements that improve their health.”

However, when done right with the proper reasons, there can be positive outcomes. Writer Sharada Vijay, who is on day 24 of her 90-Day No Sugar challenge keeps posting updates on her Instagram on how she deals with her cravings, and the alternatives she uses instead of sugar. “I started this to test my will-power and self-control. It was quite hard as I have a sweet tooth, but I keep drinking lots of water to satiate my hunger. Whenever I crave for something sweet, I think of how a sweet would taste and I gulp that in my mind – voila I’m done!”

Similarly, 18-year-old Disha Shah, an engineering student at SRM University, was inspired to take on an eating challenge, after reading a book, ‘The 21-Day Miracle: how to change anything in 3 short weeks’ by Ed Rush. “It talked about how anything can become a habit if you follow it dedicatedly for 21 days. I’m great at multi-tasking, but always felt that I didn’t have enough discipline, so this was a perfect task for me.”

What was her resolution? “I’m also a co-founder at the Inner Goddess Academy that empowers women entrepreneurship, which means I spend my entire day after college working and get home only around 10 pm – resulting in two outside meals a day atleast. My mood and skin were always affected. So, I decided that I would eat simple, home-cooked meals for three weeks.”

Disha, who hosts an Instagram video series every week, made the news public to her followers, who all chipped in with suggestions to keep her at it. “I made sure I packed lunch from home every day, along with a god energy drink that my mom prepared. I drank lot of water and always resisted when I went out with friends to restaurants or cafes. In just four days, I could feel the difference: my mood was always neutral, and my acne cleared up.”

Even better, she motivated about 40 others to follow in her wake. “Now, we are a small community and they hold me accountable, so I don’t give up. It’s been around 10 days, and already I find myself looking at oily dishes and wondering why I used to like them. I’m confident now I can continue even after the challenge.”