We wear white and make statements about things we don’t know anything about

Pakistani media’s famous sister duo, Mawra and Urva, recently talked about a greatly ignored topic, mental illness, but in quite an ignorant way.

While many celebrities have opened up about their psychological issues and discussed the topic publicly, recently the Hocane sisters got into hot water for their controversial remarks about mental illness.

In a recent episode of a morning show, where the sister duo was present to promote their newly launched fashion line, the discussion moved on to healthy lifestyle, food and exercise. While talking about the importance of working out and healthy eating, they commented on how food affects one’s mental health.

Urva declared that the sole reason people suffer from depression and mental illnesses is the food they eat. Mawra, concurring her sister’s opinion, added, “it’s what you put in your body.”

The two faced a huge backlash from netizens, who were infuriated at their insensitivity and audacity to share such ill-informed advice on a national channel.

😧…On Tuesdays we wear white and make statements about things we don't know anything about

— Sauleha (@Sauliloquy1) August 6, 2019

dr. mawra and urwa hocane saying depression is caused by the quality of food you consume. i mean, THANK YOU for this prodigious enlightenment. now, i can finally take in mcdonald’s happy meal and stay hApPy.

— zainab ☭ (@bolshiet) August 7, 2019

Seeing the criticism, Mawra took to Twitter for a clarification, saying that processed meats, fried food, refined cereals, candies, pastries and high fats proteins, if taken in excess, tend to cause anxiety and depression.

The statement put forward by the actress is true, however it is important to note that food intake is certainly not the only determinant of mental health. Healthy food choices are a significant part of holistic approach towards maintaining a sound brain, but several other factors are also involved in it.

Misconceptions about mental health are so ingrained in our society that even the educated lot and influential people seem to be unaware or insensitive about the subject. While food plays an important role in determining mental health, it is not the sole reason behind malfunctioning of the mental faculties. Genetics, environmental triggers, traumatic experiences – could be the reason behind causing imbalance of chemicals in brain leading to mental illness, which can be painful and troubling for the affected person’s life. Saying that it’s only because of their wrong choices in food is problematic and insensitive towards the struggles of huge number of people who are battling a variety of mental illnesses, all caused due different reasons.