The weight loss industry spends so much money promising rapid, easy weight loss that the FTC was forced to respond. In a public report, they urged the public to "adopt a healthy skepticism about advertising that promises miracles." Although rapid weight loss is possible, rapid healthy weight loss may very well not be.
Results
Many diets can deliver rapid weight loss, sometimes in excess of 5 lbs per week. However, health counselor Maya Paul reports that these diets can cause health problems in the short term, and often result in only temporary weight loss. Once a dieter quits the regime, he is likely to put the pounds right back on, often with interest.
Sustainability
A second problem with rapid weight loss diets is sustainability. In order to avoid the "yo-yo effect" where dieters cycle through losing and gaining weight, you have to make long-term changes to your eating habits. Any diet that burns off fat rapidly won't change your eating habits in the long term. Once you reach your goal weight, you're likely to go back to the kind of eating that made you overweight in the first place.
Gimmick Diets
Gimmick diets are those that promise weight loss by somehow breaking the rules of good nutrition, such as diets that advise you to eat none of, or disproportionately large amounts of, a specific kind of food. According to Walter Willett in "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy," these diets sometimes provide rapid weight loss. They do this by tricking the body into assuming a physiological emergency state that promotes burning fat. Like other rapid weight loss diets, this kind of diet doesn't address the problems that caused weight gain - only the immediate symptom, which will quickly return.
Cutting Weight
Combat athletes sometimes sweat, spit and even vomit in order to lose water weight in order to make weight for an upcoming match. This weight loss can be very rapid - shedding over 10 lbs in 48 hours is not uncommon, says wrestling coach Andy Brick. This weight loss is even more temporary than other rapid plans. The pounds go right back on as soon as you return your hydration to a healthy level.
Medical Issues
Unexplained rapid weight loss can be a symptom of several serious conditions, says Dr. Mehmet Oz in "You: The Owner's Manual," even including AIDS and some forms of cancer. Although rapid weight loss in response to a diet plan isn't a sign of anything but poor decision making, rapid weight loss with no discernible cause should be reported to your doctor as quickly as possible.
References
- HelpGuide.org: Healthy Weight Loss and Dieting
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy"; Walter Willett MD, et al; 2006
- Andy Brick; Wrestling Coach; Hillsboro, OR
- "You: The Owner's Manual"; Dr. Mehmet Oz; 2006
Member Comments