CTV National News: Why some experts are calling 'looksmaxxing' a toxic trend
A new online trend among young men known as 'looksmaxxing' is raising concerns about body image and mental health. Paul Hollingsworth explains.
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CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Weight loss medications like Ozempic linked to eating disorders in boys and men: study
Prescription weight loss medication use has been linked to significantly higher rates of eating disorders in adolescent boys and men, according to a new study. Led by Kyle Ganson, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto's faculty of social work, the study focuses on an often overlooked population and raises new concerns about the use of high-profile medications like Ozempic and Wegovy for weight loss. 'While these medications are typically prescribed for diabetes or obesity, their off-label use for weight loss has become popular,' Ganson said in a news release from the University of Toronto. 'Our findings underscore potential psychological implications for young men.' The study analyzed survey data from 1,543 boys and men from Canada and the U.S. who were between the ages of 15 and 35. While only 1.2 per cent of the sample reported using prescription weight loss medication in the past 12 months, they were much more likely to report eating disorder attitudes and behaviours than others, such as loss of control while eating (63.2 per cent versus 36.2 per cent), binge eating (63.2 per cent versus 34.1 per cent) and purging via vomiting (15.8 per cent versus 5.6 per cent). The study also found that boys and men who used the medication were typically older, had a higher body mass index, and were more likely to identify as not being white or heterosexual. 'Boys and men are frequently left out of the conversation about eating disorders and body image pressures, but this study makes clear that they are not immune to the risks,' Ganson said. The study was published earlier this month in the journal Eating Behaviors. 'There is a greater need to describe the prevalence of use among understudied populations, as well as identify associations with eating disorder attitudes and behaviours,' the study explained. 'Health and mental health care professionals should be cognizant of the associations found in this study to ensure proper eating disorder assessment and intervention are provided to individuals, including boys and men, who use prescription weight loss medication.'
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Dieting culture stole years of my life. Then, I unlocked the key to break free
This First Person article is the experience of Natasha Ngindi, who lives in Saskatoon. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ. For most of my life, I believed my body was a problem. I believed that if I could just lose weight, everything would be better. I'd be more confident, I'd be happy and I'd finally feel good enough. So I dieted. I exercised obsessively. I lost weight. And for a moment, I thought I had won. But the truth? Diet culture stole years of my life before I broke free. As a child in South Africa, I grew up surrounded by family, culture and food that felt like love. There was no counting calories, no "good" or "bad" foods. We just ate, and we enjoyed it. I never once thought about calories and I never thought about the size of my body. I moved, played, danced and ate with joy. But when I was eight, my family moved to Canada. That was the moment everything changed. I realized that I didn't fit into Western beauty standards that seemed worlds apart from the beauty standards in South Africa at that point in time. I was the Black girl in a mostly white school in Brampton, Ont., and I became hyper-aware of my size, my skin colour and just how "different" I was. I quickly learned that I was the bigger girl in a society that praised thinness. WATCH | Natasha Ngindi shares her journey to self-acceptance: Saskatoon woman shares her journey from dieting to food freedom 2 days ago After moving from South Africa as a child, Natasha Ngindi felt the pressure to fit in with Canadian beauty standards. She spent years dieting and cycling through weight loss and gain before getting the help she needed to change her relationship with food and embrace her body. Now, she's helping others find food freedom. Diet culture crept into my head, whispering that I wasn't enough. I started feeling insecure and fearing loneliness because I didn't feel I was good enough. I used to love movement — figure skating, dancing and even climbing trees. But as I got older, I felt like spaces for movement weren't made for bodies like mine. So I stopped. Food was something I used to enjoy without guilt. But here in Canada, I learned that thinner meant better. I went on my first diet in high school. It started small — cutting out certain foods here and there and working out more. But then it became an extreme obsession. I was counting calories, tracking everything and skipping meals. I believed that if I could just be smaller, I'd finally be accepted. I even fell for the idea that my worth was tied to my weight. And when I lost 50 pounds, suddenly, people noticed and praised me. They told me I "looked amazing." That I had "glowed up." I thought: "This is it. I've finally made it." I truly believed I was the healthiest I'd ever been. With all the praise, I thought I could help others as well, so I decided to study nutrition science in university, thinking I could teach people how to lose weight just like I did. I thought I was happy. But the truth? I was exhausted. Nobody tells you this, but when your confidence is built on weight loss, it's never enough. The fear of gaining it back consumes you. And like most people, I couldn't keep the weight I lost off, because our bodies are designed to fight against restriction. Despite this fact, I tried harder. More diets. More guilt. More shame. About three years into studying nutrition science at the University of Saskatchewan, I hit my breaking point. That's when I sought professional help and met a dietitian who introduced me to intuitive eating. This self-care approach encourages people to focus on listening to their body's hunger, fullness and satisfaction cues rather than following external diet rules. Learning about intuitive eating changed everything for me. My dietitian helped me realize that I was spending more time thinking about food than actually living my life. I was skipping meals to save calories or punishing myself for eating cake. And for what? I asked myself: "Is this how I want to live forever?" The answer was no. I deleted my diet apps. I stopped labelling food as good or bad, and I let myself eat what I loved. For the first time in years, I listened to my body instead of punishing it. I also rediscovered joyful movement — working out because it felt good, not because I wanted to shrink myself. I started dancing again. I became a Zumba instructor. Slowly but surely, I started to feel free. After spending years studying and working in nutrition science, I knew I wanted to help others. I started sharing my outlook with others through social media, encouraging people to make peace with food, love their bodies and find joy in movement — free from diet culture. I am also trying to inspire others to practice the self-compassion I wish I'd shown myself when I first moved to Canada. I know now that my body is enough, just as it is. And so is yours.
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Thunder Bay Public Health releases guide for parents of young people with addictions
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU) has launched a new resource in response to the toxic drug crisis. It offers something many say has been missing, hope. Parents Like Us: An Unofficial Guide to Caring for a Young Person Who Uses Substances was unveiled in June. The free handbook blends evidence-based guidance with lived experiences, storytelling and artwork from families who have navigated substance use firsthand. It was co-created with caregivers, youth and community partners. "This resource is a testament to the resilience of parents and caregivers who continue to show up, even in the most challenging circumstances," said one Thunder Bay parent who contributed to the project in the media release. Among the contributors is Clarence Fisher, a recovering addict, caregiver and community advocate who knows how substance use can ripple through entire families. "The unmanageability spreads into the immediate family and friends and work, so the people surrounding a person living with addictions or substance use issues," Fisher said. "Fear becomes very powerful. Having something physical that's transferring knowledge to you or tools, coping mechanisms that can help you on this journey, it's very powerful for us human beings to now have some light that shines the way for that journey." Parents Like Us is adapted from a Victoria, B.C.-based resource originally developed by Foundry and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. The Thunder Bay version was shaped through conversations with local focus groups and consultations that took place over a year. It goes a step further by embedding northern Ontario voices and experiences throughout. "It has local personal stories. It has advice written by parents. And then it also has different artwork and pieces and advice from youth. Because they wanted to explain how they wanted to be supported from that youth perspective," said Stephanie Diebolt, a TBDHU public health nurse who led the project. The handbook includes nine chapters covering topics such as harm reduction, overdose response, communication strategies and how to navigate complex systems. But contributors say its real strength lies in its tone. "It's not a do-it-yourself manual," said Fisher, who has been in recovery for 13 years."[I]t's basically a map to help you understand what you're experiencing and the directions that you need to go." Fisher also emphasized the importance of caregiver boundaries and self-care, which is a central theme in the guide. "There's a term that I use all the time that I can't pour from an empty cup. I'm unable to care," said Fisher, who helped his niece through recovery. "If we don't set boundaries, one thing that happens to the person who's living with addictions, it's difficult for them to really come to the realization that their lives have become unmanageable or the damage that's causing on their life." Fisher said this could lead to the caregiver "robbing" life lessons from the person living with addictions. "It was important for them to have some support in a written form that can help them feel less alone,'" adds Diebolt. Indigenous perspectives are also woven throughout the guide. The health unit says it is already exploring Ojibwe and French translations to make the resource more accessible across the region. Parents Like Us is available in print at all TBDHU offices and can also be downloaded for free at Community organizations can request up to 10 free printed copies. For Diebolt, the guide is part of a much-needed cultural shift by sharing the voices of those who often go unheard. "It was important to have a rich group that came from different backgrounds and experiences, whether it was lived experience with substance use, whether it was a dad or mom. I'm just capturing a group that could speak to different family situations in Thunder Bay," said Diebolt. "There's just a lot of people who are just doing the best they can with what they know or what's accessible to them. We're hoping that this book opens up more ideas and conversations about substance use health in general."
