Dangers of Fad Diets
There are many dangers of fad diets, as weight loss has become a major obsession in today’s culture. People dream of getting slimmer and more trim. While maintaining a healthy weight or body mass Index (BMI) is beneficial, unrealistic weight loss targets can harm the body and do damage along the way.
Cashing in on the instant gratification of now, several harmful fad diets and products have been devised. Also known as crash diets, they are the ones who claim to help you lose weight quickly. They are everywhere and these companies are spending huge amounts on advertisements and grabbing sales but their products will do you a lot more harm than good.
Fad diets should be avoided totally and the actual dangers they pose are discussed in this article.
Dangers of Fad Diets
Weight Loss Without Exercise
This is akin to saying success without hard work. Regular exercise and physical activity are not only important, but essential for effective weight management. Exercising helps increase energy expenditure and burns off energy from the food we eat. The other variety of benefits of exercise also aid you toward not just a healthy weight, but a healthy body.
Exercise not only allows you to burn more calories to aid in weight loss, but it also prevents you from simply decreasing your calorie count — and possibly good nutrition — during your weight loss endeavors. When you try to lose weight without the benefits of exercise, your body resorts to burning protein for energy. This results in a breakdown of muscles and bones.
Specific Timings
Timetables and rigid plans do not work as we live our lives on the go. Diets that try to restrict a specific time for eating a specific meal should be avoided. Although meals should be taken at the appropriate time, the time should be of your own comfort and ease. Make sure that any changes you make to your diet are not based on the latest fad and are also changes you can sustain over the long-term.
Lack of Nutrition
Fad diets are extremely hard on the body. Most of the time they lack essential nutrients that are required for body functioning. The body stores get depleted and nutritional deficiencies start forming up. Following a crash diet for a long span of time is known to cause excessive hair loss, dull skin, dark circles, and general weakness. Irrespective of weight loss, an inefficient and unproductive body functioning is an add-on feature of fad diets.
While these are some major dangers of fad diets, the hindrances are not limited to these. Instant weight loss is not possible without facing a whole lot of disadvantages and so picking a comprehensive and healthy weight loss program should be preferred.
[Related article: 3 Fad Diet Myths Busted]
For help in finding a path to weight loss that also meets your nutritional needs and avoids the dangers of fad diets, contact the registered dietitian nutritionists at The Nutrition Professionals. RDNs are nutritional experts in their field and can help you decode conflicting health and nutritional information while you work on a weight loss plan that is right for you.