You already know that weight loss can have a dramatic impact on your overall health. It helps reduce your risk of heart disease and certain cancers, and improves nearly every facet of your health, from your fertility to the quality of your sleep. Still, weight loss isn't without its pitfalls. When not handled correctly, it can lead to a bevy of health problems. Some people who lose a lot of weight also experience psychological and emotional problems as they cope with life in an altered body.
Altered Self-Image
Unfortunately, many people pin their hopes of a better tomorrow on their weight loss goals. People who lose a dramatic amount of weight can experience depression and anxiety as they adjust to life in their new bodies. Many people find that they have many of the same problems as they did when they lived in overweight bodies. According to "Teen Health," it's common for people who undergo weight loss surgery to experience an identity crisis as they transition into life in a new body. Losing weight can increase your self-esteem and make you feel more capable of achieving life's goals, but it's no magic solution to social and emotional problems you experienced before weight loss.
Health Complications
If you lose weight too quickly, you're likely to suffer from health complications. Losing weight too fast causes muscle and fluid loss as well as fat loss, according to "Ask the Dietitian" at Dietitian.com. Rapid weight loss can also damage your kidneys and lead to dehydration and malnourishment, depending on the weight loss methods. Starvation diets rob your vital organs of nutrients and can cause serious heart, brain and other organ damage or even failure. Dietitian.com also points out that the quicker you lose weight, the more likely you are to gain it back.
Excess Skin
If you lose a large amount of weight, you're at an increased risk for having loose or extra skin. This usually happens as a result of losing 100 pounds or more, according to the Cleveland Clinic, but it can happen with any significant weight loss. Some of this skill will shrink back over time, but some of it will not. Excess skin isn't dangerous to your health, but it can make you uncomfortable and cause rashes, chafing and loss of self-esteem. Body contouring surgery might be in order if you have significant amounts of skin to remove.
Maintenence
Once you lose your weight, you're tasked with the arduous task of keeping it off. Some people back slide after reaching their goal weight, thinking the hardest part is over. In fact, once you've lost the weight, you have to work just as hard to keep it off. There is no return to a "normal" way of eating. You'll likely have to vigilant the rest of your life to make sure your weight doesn't creep back on, according to MayoClinic.com.
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