Dangers of Rapid Weight Loss
This is a good article to read for those looking for quick weight loss. The effects of quick weight loss can cause serious damage. It takes time if you want to lose weight in certain areas. Quick weight loss can leave you pear shaped. It can leave you looking older beyond your years. Looking like you don't want to look. When your ready to lose weight do it right, take your time and you'll be very happy you did.
This was published in WebMd, you need to read it.
Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days!
Eat as Much as You Want -- and Still Lose Weight!
Drop One Dress Size a Day!
Rapid weight loss can be quick and easy -- if you believe the advertising claims.
Fad diets and weight loss supplements promise a slimmer body in no time. And Americans want to believe those claims, spending $33 billion every year on weight loss products.
Do any of these products really produce rapid weight loss? Are they safe? And what are the risks of such fast weight loss? WebMD took a look at some rapid weight loss claims, as well as the available evidence.
Rapid Weight Loss: What Is It?
So many marketers promise "fast weight loss" it's difficult to sort through them all.
Most rapid weight loss pitches fall into these categories:
Starvation Diets
Beyonce popularized the so-called "master cleanse" diet: water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. Variations of these diets have been around since at least the 1950s. They often also promise "detoxification" through colonics or enemas.
Diet Pills and Supplements
Dozens of diet supplements promise to speed weight loss. Generally, they claim either to block absorption of nutrients, increase metabolism, or burn fat.
Very Low-Calorie Diets (VLCDs)
One proven method of rapid weight loss is the medically supervised very low-calorie diet (VLCD). Most of what is known about rapid weight loss comes from studies of people on these diets.
Creams, Devices, and Magic Voodoo Spells
There seems to be no end to the dubious ideas promoted in the name of rapid weight loss. Most promise to replace diet or exercise.
Does Rapid Weight Loss Work?
The FDA does not regulate claims made by over-the-counter weight loss products. Marketers can make their claims freely. This means that dietary supplements do not need approval from FDA before they are marketed.
Aside from the very low-calorie diet and weight loss surgery, no other product, pill, or diet has been proven to work for fast weight loss. The prescription drug orlistat can help, but it works slowly and only with diet and exercise. Orlistat is marketed as Xenical and Alli. Labeling for orlistat notes that it can cause severe liver damage.
In any rapid weight loss program, what really burns fat is not a pill or type of food. It's the drastic reduction of calories, combined with exercise.
What Are the Risks of Rapid Weight Loss?
Rapid weight loss creates physical demands on the body. Possible serious risks include:
Gallstones, which occur in 12% to 25% of people losing large amounts of weight over several months.
Dehydration, which can be avoided by drinking plenty of fluids.
Malnutrition, usually from not eating enough protein for weeks at a time.
Electrolyte imbalances, which rarely can be life threatening.
Other side effects of rapid weight loss include:
Headaches
Irritability
Fatigue
Dizziness
Constipation
Menstrual irregularities
Hair loss
Muscle loss
The dangers of rapid weight loss increase with the time spent on the diet. Eating a no-protein diet is particularly risky.
This was published in WebMd, you need to read it.
Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days!
Eat as Much as You Want -- and Still Lose Weight!
Drop One Dress Size a Day!
Rapid weight loss can be quick and easy -- if you believe the advertising claims.
Fad diets and weight loss supplements promise a slimmer body in no time. And Americans want to believe those claims, spending $33 billion every year on weight loss products.
Do any of these products really produce rapid weight loss? Are they safe? And what are the risks of such fast weight loss? WebMD took a look at some rapid weight loss claims, as well as the available evidence.
Rapid Weight Loss: What Is It?
So many marketers promise "fast weight loss" it's difficult to sort through them all.
Most rapid weight loss pitches fall into these categories:
Starvation Diets
Beyonce popularized the so-called "master cleanse" diet: water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. Variations of these diets have been around since at least the 1950s. They often also promise "detoxification" through colonics or enemas.
Diet Pills and Supplements
Dozens of diet supplements promise to speed weight loss. Generally, they claim either to block absorption of nutrients, increase metabolism, or burn fat.
Very Low-Calorie Diets (VLCDs)
One proven method of rapid weight loss is the medically supervised very low-calorie diet (VLCD). Most of what is known about rapid weight loss comes from studies of people on these diets.
Creams, Devices, and Magic Voodoo Spells
There seems to be no end to the dubious ideas promoted in the name of rapid weight loss. Most promise to replace diet or exercise.
Does Rapid Weight Loss Work?
The FDA does not regulate claims made by over-the-counter weight loss products. Marketers can make their claims freely. This means that dietary supplements do not need approval from FDA before they are marketed.
Aside from the very low-calorie diet and weight loss surgery, no other product, pill, or diet has been proven to work for fast weight loss. The prescription drug orlistat can help, but it works slowly and only with diet and exercise. Orlistat is marketed as Xenical and Alli. Labeling for orlistat notes that it can cause severe liver damage.
In any rapid weight loss program, what really burns fat is not a pill or type of food. It's the drastic reduction of calories, combined with exercise.
What Are the Risks of Rapid Weight Loss?
Rapid weight loss creates physical demands on the body. Possible serious risks include:
Gallstones, which occur in 12% to 25% of people losing large amounts of weight over several months.
Dehydration, which can be avoided by drinking plenty of fluids.
Malnutrition, usually from not eating enough protein for weeks at a time.
Electrolyte imbalances, which rarely can be life threatening.
Other side effects of rapid weight loss include:
Headaches
Irritability
Fatigue
Dizziness
Constipation
Menstrual irregularities
Hair loss
Muscle loss
The dangers of rapid weight loss increase with the time spent on the diet. Eating a no-protein diet is particularly risky.
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