With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that 72.5 million people in the United States could be considered obese, it's no wonder that the health and fitness market has been flooded with hundreds of dieting and weight loss plans. Some of these plans create weight loss through methods such as extreme calorie restriction--starvation diets--or excessive exercise routines, which can create fast weight loss. However, when not used directly under a doctor's care and supervision, these fast weight loss techniques can cause complications, some of which can progress into potentially serious health problems.
Sagging Skin
One potential complication that can occur when losing weight at an accelerated rate is the appearance of sagging skin. Slow weight loss allows the skin to keep up with the change in body shape as fat is burned from below the skin's surface. When weight is lost too fast, the skin may not rebound as well, leaving folds of excess skin tissue in areas where fat has been lost.
Gallstones
Rapid weight loss can also cause problems with gallstones. When you lose weight at an excessive pace, the body reacts to your metabolism burning off the fat by secreting extra cholesterol into your bile. Unfortunately, this added cholesterol can raise your risks for developing gallstones, states the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
Muscle Loss
When losing weight through starvation diets or extreme and excessive exercise routines, you run the risk of burning muscle instead of fat. Burning muscle only occurs when the body no longer has carbohydrate stores to turn to for energy. This typically only occurs after intense hard endurance events or through starvation diets, states exercise physiologist and nutritionist Martica Heaner.
Binge Eating
Another complication that can occur with losing weight at a fast pace, especially if using a calorie restricted diet, is binge eating. When you withhold food from your body for extended periods of time, hunger can increase resulting in intense cravings, or breaking down and consuming large amounts of food at once, also known as binge eating. This can ultimately work against your goals of losing weight and may make it difficult to keep off the pounds you have lost over a longer period of time.
Dehydration
Dehydration is a complication that can occur when losing weight fast through intense and excessive exercise. When you exercise your body naturally sweats. If you do not replace the liquids that you sweat, dehydration can occur. Water can also come from the foods that you eat, making dehydration even more likely when combining a calorie restricted diet with intense exercise.
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is a serious complication that can occur on a calorie restricted diet. When you cut calories, you also cut out foods that provide the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals your body needs to operate efficiently and create energy. Malnutrition can also occur through diets that cut out major nutrients such as a low- or no-carbohydrate diet, or a low- or no-protein diet. The damage done to your body from malnutrition can be permanent, states MedlinePlus.
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