When you want to lose weight, you may consider cutting calories. For some people, a 1,600 calorie diet, in which you eat 1,600 calories of food daily, can be helpful in weight loss as long as it is supervised by a doctor. However, there are some dangers associated with a 1,600 calorie diet, including malnutrition and too-rapid weight loss. Always discuss your diet plans and options with your doctor before starting any diet, and follow your doctor's advice on how to diet safely.
Malnutrition
Eating too few calories for your particular body can lead to malnutrition, according to weight loss guru Anne Collins. If you don't eat enough food, your body cannot get the full range of vitamins and minerals it needs to be healthy. To avoid malnutrition on a 1,600 calorie diet, consult a physician and also consider following the dietary guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Pyramid. The Food Pyramid for a 1,600-calorie diet helps you plan meals so that you can meet your body's nutritional needs while keeping calories low.
Losing Weight Too Fast
Patients with type 2 diabetes are often given diets to help them lose weight. Many of these diets restrict the patient to 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day, according to EndocrineWeb. If you are particularly obese, however, a 1,600 or fewer calorie diet may not give you enough calories to lose weight safely. When there are too few calories in the diet, the body sheds weight unevenly, losing water and muscle along with fat. A physician can help you determine if a 1,600 calorie diet provides enough food for you to lose weight at a healthy rate.
Increased Cancer Risk
According to a study published in the December 2006 "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" studied the link between low-calorie diets and signs of an increased risk of cancer, such as low plasma growth factors and low hormones. The study found that, when calorie intake and especially protein intake were too low, patients had low plasma growth factors and low hormones, which made them more susceptible to cancer. Since a 1600-calorie diet is relatively low in calories, check with your doctor to be sure it is not so low it increases your cancer risks, especially if you have a family or personal history of cancer.
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