Healthy weight loss comes gradually, by incorporating better eating habits and increased physical activity. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out, the most successful weight loss occurs at the rate of one to two pounds a week. It also explains that you start to achieve significant health benefits from losing as little as 5 percent of total body weight. Any non-surgical way of losing weight more rapidly and that doesn't promote a well-balanced diet and exercise is probably unhealthy. Unfortunately, there are many widely-used methods of unhealthy, rapid weight loss.
Starvation
Starvation, anorexia or severe calorie restriction is a dangerous way to lose weight rapidly. Adverse effects such as light-headedness, the inability to concentrate, fatigue and fainting may manifest quickly. Hair loss, brittle nails, dry or jaundiced skin, loss of muscle mass and other problems can soon follow. Long-term dangers of this approach to weight loss are serious and potentially life threatening. As the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services warns, these include loss of bone density, anemia and heart failure.
Purging
Purging by vomiting after eating leads to malnutrition and the same health concerns associated with starvation. Additionally, the repeated exposure to vomit's acid can damage teeth, glands in the mouth, the stomach and the esophagus, cautions the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It also warns that purging presents risks for irregular heartbeats, ulcers, pancreatitis, heart failure, and death from bodily chemical imbalances.
Laxative abuse is purging as well. Initial problems include intestinal distress, dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. The depletion of essential nutrients and malnutrition will occur. Muscle pain or spasms, irregular heartbeat, kidney and colon problems, gastrointestinal tract damage, a weakened immune system and heart failure are all possible effects of losing weight rapidly with laxatives.
Fad/Crash Diets
The American Heart Association (AHA) warns against fad or crash diets for rapid weight loss, and points out that weight lost this way is quickly regained when the diet is stopped. As the AHA explains, these diets, usually based on nothing more than nutrition myths, can cause gastrointestinal problems, malnutrition (especially those that emphasize a particular food or food group to the exclusion of others), and generally undermine health. In addition, they are unpleasant to follow for any significant amount of time and typically fail to emphasize exercise, an essential part of good health and successful weight loss.
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