Advertisements for fad diets oftentimes promise quick weight loss without much effort. Although some fad diets can actually encourage weight loss, it is not always by safe or healthy means. Because fad diets can severely compromise your health, it is important to understand what types of dangers they pose before considering trying one yourself.
Vitamin Deficiency
Fad diets that focus on an extreme reduction of calories or fasting can rob the body of the nutrients it needs to work correctly. This can cause vitamin deficiencies. As a result, the muscles in the body can break down. In addition you can experience acne, dry skin, fatigue, impaired growth and cancer susceptibility. The immune system can also weaken, decreasing the body's ability to fight off infections and viruses.
Flatulence
Fad diets that focus on eating just one type of food, such as the Cabbage Soup Diet, can be hazardous to your health as well as your social life. Not only are fad diets oftentimes low in calories, they can cause flatulence. Symptoms can include the involuntary passing of gas either via flatus or burping, sharp pains in your abdomen and abdominal bloating. Foods that can contribute to gas include dairy products and high-fiber vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and asparagus.
Frequent Bathroom Trips
Fad diets, especially if they rely on any type of laxative additive or a food that produces similar effects, can cause digestive distress, such as diarrhea. Frequent bathroom visits can cause the skin on your bottom to break down, which can lead to sores or even infection. In addition, it can lead to severe dehydration. Diarrhea can disturb the balance of the body's minerals and electrolytes, impairing the function of internal organs like the heart and colon. Chronic diarrhea can result in severe damage to the organs of the body and can even lead to colon cancer.
Repeated Weight Gain
Because fad diets do not typically provide a wide variety of food for you to eat, you can easily become bored and return to your normal eating habits, regaining weight quickly. In addition, fad diets do not often concentrate on or encourage physical activity. Although you may initially lose weight fast when following a fad diet, the results are usually only temporary. Fad diets do not teach you how to eliminate excess weight permanently through healthy lifestyle adjustments.
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