PUBERTY

Reasons why you should not go on a diet unsupervised

Maria Skoura

 

During adolescence your body goes through many changes. That is why you should consult a physician, if you consider changing your diet. Studies show that more and more teenagers, mostly girls, start changing their diet aiming to weight loss.  More specifically, research has shown that as girls become older, there is an increase in the percentage of those on diet: 17,1% at the age of 11, 22 % at the age of 13 and 27 % at the age of 15.  The fact that girls of your age choose privative diets for fast weight loss is very concerning.

Here are some serious reasons you should not go on a diet unsupervised:

1. If you don’t have a well-planned nutritional schedule, you run the risk of blocking your physical growth.
2. There is a strong possibility to lack the necessary vitamins and minerals
3. Your immune system will become weaker.
4. If you skip meals in order to lose weight, you end up decreasing your metabolism
5. A low metabolism makes the body to store more fat.
6. Shortcomings in nutritious elements affect your skin and hair, they may look dull and your nails will become fragile.
7. Sudden weight loss leads to muscle tissue loss. When losing muscle tissue, you decrease your metabolism and increase the fat levels in your body.
8. During diet, particularly a privative one, you feel terrible, you’re in a bad mood and you’re hungry all the time.
9. When you go back to your normal diet, you run the risk of gaining lost weight, since your metabolism is now decreased.
10. Food deprivation for a long period of time ends up in anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.

Every person should follow a healthy eating plan. It should be designed by a nutrition expert, always based on your age and gender.

Maria Skoura

Nutritionist, Scientific Associate of the Greek Society of Adolescent Medicine