Carrying too much weight presents a considerable risk to your health. According to the Weight Loss Information Network, overweight individuals have a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, gallbladder problems and type 2 diabetes. While losing weight can lower your health risks and provide you with more energy and self-confidence, doing so too rapidly can also take a toll on your health and, in some cases, your appearance as well.
Dehydration
Your goal in losing weight should be to burn fat and, if possible, build muscle. Unfortunately, rapid weight loss is often the result of your body losing water rather than fat, thus the term "water weight." While participating in a weight loss regimen, staying hydrated is vital to preserving your health. Working out too often in an effort to drop pounds rapidly can leave you subject to dehydration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in 1997, three college wrestlers died from dehydration while participating in strict weight loss programs designed to help them drop weight rapidly.
Malnutrition
Many rapid weight loss programs rely on fasting or significantly limiting your food intake. While limiting your food intake to a certain extent while dieting may be merited, not eating the right types of foods can leave you subject to malnutrition.
Your body needs nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and protein from foods. Although your body stores fat well, its storage capacity for the nutrients you need is limited. Malnutrition can result in fatigue and a lowered immune response. Severe malnutrition, however, can result in death.
Loose Skin
Losing a considerable amount of weight over a short time frame can leave you with unsightly loose skin to contend with. Columbia University Health Services warns that, if you need to lose 50 to 100 lbs. or more, do so slowly. Although your skin's natural elasticity plays a role in whether or not you'll suffer from loose skin, losing approximately 1 to 2 lbs. per week can lessen the effects. The slower you lose weight, the more easily your skin can shrink to keep up with your new body shape.
Lead Toxicity
Lead exposure can come from a variety of sources. Even if your home's paint is lead-free, that doesn't mean you aren't regularly exposed to lead. If the soil around your home contains high levels of lead, your job requires you to weld or solder metal or your hobbies include jewelry making or pottery glazing, lead can build up within your body. Previously harmless levels of lead, however, can present a health concern during periods of rapid weight loss.
A 1999 study performed by the New Jersey Department of Preventative Medicine and Community Health demonstrated that rats previously exposed to lead were most likely to develop lead poisoning during periods of rapid weight loss. The results of the study suggests that individuals with previous lead exposure who then lose weight rapidly could suffer the same fate.
References
- Weight Control Information Network: Do You Know the Health Risks of Being Overweight?
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Hyperthermia and Dehydration Related Deaths
- University of Illinois: Dieting That Works
- Health Services at Columbia: Weight Loss and Excess Skin
- National Institutes of Health/Medline Plus: Lead Poisoning
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