Crash diets promise quick weight loss but may cause nutritional deficiencies and lead to major health problems. According to Kids Health, people who go on crash diets often regain most of the weight they have lost. They are also referred to as fad diets because they often wax and wane in popularity as celebrities make it trendy to diet in a particular way for a short time.
Types
Crash diets commonly focus on one or a few foods to the exclusion of all others. The cabbage diet and grapefruit diet are two examples. Others don't specify the individual foods to be eaten but instead restrict calories to an extremely low 600 to 1,000 a day. Some crash diets use a combination of foods designed to affect the body in a certain way, such as detox diets and diets aimed at reducing abdominal fat. Another version of a crash diet replaces one or more daily meals with a low-calorie product such as a special weight-loss shake, smoothie or meal bar.
Reasons
The main reason people try crash diets is a desire to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time. The Mayo Clinic explains that safe and sustainable methods of dieting lead to a loss of about 1 to 2 lbs. per week. Many people find these methods to be too slow for their weight-loss goals and turn to crash diets instead. Other people join in the trend when they mistakenly think a particular crash diet is safe and effective because a favorite celebrity endorses it.
Risks
According to CNN Health, crash diets may be harmful to heart health, raising the risk of cardiac stress and heart arrhythmia. Extremely restrictive diets may cause the immune system to function less efficiently and may even slow metabolism, making it harder to lose weight in the future. Some variants of crash diets can induce dehydration if they are deficient in fluids.
Alternatives
The American Heart Association recommends a diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy. The Mediterranean diet, another healthy option, focuses on fish, grains, vegetables and using monounsaturated olive oil as the primary source of fat. A healthy diet and regular exercise are necessary for consistent, permanent weight loss.
Controversy
Despite all of the negative press surrounding crash diets, people continue to try them. According to the Mail Online, this is because in some circumstances, crash diets do actually work. The key, says author Dr. Susan Roberts, is to trim calories enough to cause rapid weight loss, but not enough to make metabolism slow permanently or damage health. She recommends eating high-fiber foods, healthy proteins and low glycemic load foods and remaining within 1,200 to 1,800 calories daily to lose weight quickly.
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