Crash diets have the ultimate appeal: lose lots of weight in a short time and without much effort. However, these diets come with some small print that is easy to miss. Lose weight too quickly and you're likely to gain it back. Diets that cause rapid weight loss are also likely to be unhealthy. According to Dr. Joey Shulman in an article for Homemakers.com, picking the wrong diet can put your health at risk.
Calories
One of the signs of a dangerous diet plan is a very low number of calories. According to Dr. Shulman, diets that advocate an intake of fewer than 800 calories per day are unsafe and unsustainable. Being constantly hungry is a clear sign that the diet you're following is too low in calories. Very-low calorie diets should only be attempted under the supervision of a medical professional.
Nutrition
Diets that completely eliminate a food group can also be dangerous. To stay healthy, your body needs carbohydrates, proteins and fats, notes Dr. Shulman. Drastically reduce one of those groups and you'll be missing out in a number of nutrients. For example, some vitamins are fat soluble. If you eliminate fats or take fat blockers like U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved diet pill Alli, your body might not be able to absorb certain vitamins, according to Drugs.com.
Symptoms
According to an article in "Shape" magazine, one of the easiest ways to identify a dangerous diet plan is to look at the symptoms they cause. Low energy, feeling sad or depressed, anxiety and mental fogginess can all be caused by poor diet. Diet plans that require you to take pills can cause additional problems, as weight-loss pills might contain stimulants and other dangerous ingredients.
Pills
Diet plans based solely on taking pills which have no dietary or exercise recommendations should be considered, at best, suspicious. Because diet pills are considered nutritional supplements, they don't need to be approved or tested by the FDA before put up for sale. The FDA only offers warnings against certain pills after a number of reports have been filed regarding serious side effects. As of 2009, the FDA website lists 69 tainted or dangerous diet pills that were being sold over the counter nationwide.
Prevention
The best way to protect yourself against a dangerous diet plan is to discuss it with your doctor. If you can afford to see a nutritionist, you can get a personalized plan to fit your needs and lifestyle. If not, well-respected eating plans, like the USDA Food Pyramid recommendations or the Mayo Clinic diet, are good choices.
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