Fast weight loss
Fast weight loss- side effects & results
Maria Skoura
Research shows that 1 in 6 teenagers, girls mostly, is on a diet. Further, 1 in 4 students at the age of 15, although not on a diet, believes he or she should lose weight. Moreover, most of the girls that are on a diet or those who believe they should be, (7 out of 10) have normal weight or even less than normal, according to the BMI (body mass index). During puberty, where your body grows faster, a depriving diet aiming to fast weight loss could have a negative impact on your physical growth and health in general.
Most people who start a diet to lose weight want fast results. However, sudden weight loss (over 4 pounds/month) could have a negative impact not only on our health, but also our body. Diets aiming to fast weight loss are quite depriving, reduce significally the daily intake of food, but also that of vitamins and minerals.
Let’s see what happens to the body during periods of food deprivation (or during food diet):
First one loses fluids, minerals and electrolytes. If this continues for a long period of time, one risks malnutrition that leads to fatigue, weakness, dizziness, hypotension, headaches, dehydration, gastrointestinal disorders, constipation, skin dryness and cycle irregularities.
Sudden weight loss also affects one’s looks. Unfortunately, along with the fluid loss, there’s also a muscle tissue loss, and that means one’s body becomes loose, looks bad and the scale is stuck. The muscle tissue plays an important role in metabolism and fat burn. So, an increase in muscle tissue loss (almost 1/3 of weight) leads to metabolism decrease. So it is almost certain that once one goes back to his or her routine diet, one will regain the lost weight.
Maria SkouraNutritionist, Scientific Associate of the Greek Society of Adolescent Medicine
