NEGLECTING SELF-CARE AND SEEKING ILLEGAL WEIGHT LOSS METHODS: IMPLICATIONS FOR MEDICAL PRACTICE AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Abstract

The neglect of self-care and the pursuit of clandestine weight loss methods constitute concerning phenomena that permeate contemporary medical practice and reverberate in public health policies. This study analyzes the implications of this problem through an exploratory bibliographic approach, examining how aesthetic pressure, amplified by commercial and digital narratives, leads individuals to risky practices that compromise physiological integrity. The methodology encompasses a systematic review of specialized literature, integrating perspectives from authors such as De Castro and Machado (2023), De Freitas Soares et al. (2022), and De Souza et al. (2023), who discuss the questionable efficacy and risks associated with the use of non-prescribed drugs for weight loss. The results show that self-medication with anorectic substances represents a multifactorial challenge, involving gaps in health education, insufficient regulatory policies, and psychosocial vulnerability. It is concluded that reversing this scenario requires integrated intervention among health professionals, policymakers, and civil society, promoting health literacy and reorienting paradigms of bodily well-being.