The Risk of Dieting

According to the National Eating Disorders Organization, up to 50 percent of American are on a diet at any given time. Even more disturbing is that 60 percent of high school-age teens are on a diet and 46 percent of 9- to 11-year-olds have tried a diet at least once, according to the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. With people starting their "dieting lifestyle" younger and younger, it's no surprise that it becomes a lifelong pursuit for many. However, with dieting come risks and disadvantages, many of which can carry serious consequences.

Weight Gain

Probably the most contradictory risk of dieting is that you might end up gaining weight. Up to 95 percent of people who diet end up regaining the weight, and many regain more than they lost. If you yo-yo diet for years, you might end up with a serious weight problem. Extreme diets can send your body into starvation mode. This causes two problems. First, it slows down your metabolism, as your body will try to conserve calories to stay alive. Second, it will cause you to lose muscle, rather than fat. When you regain the weight, you'll regain it in the form of fat. So you'll end up weighing the same or more than before and with a much higher fat percentage.

Mental Impact

Diets can leave your mind starving for nutrients. This can lead to poor memory, problems concentrating and depression. You can also suffer irritability or other mood changes. Dieting can also increase your stress levels and in turn interfere with your day-to-day life and activities.

Risks of Developing Eating Disorders

An early 1995 study published on the "Archives of General Psychiatry" showed that chronic dieting might lead to the development of anorexia nervosa. Since then, mental health professionals have put an emphasis on the connection between self-criticism and eating disorders. Because dieting can be motivated by a need for perfection, it might cause you to obsess over your appearance and lead to stricter forms of dieting as time progresses.

Health Risks

Constant yo-yo dieting can lead to a number of problems. These vary from the mild ones, such as electrolyte imbalances and slowed heart rate, to the very serious ones, such as a higher risk of heart disease. Constant dieting can lead to deficiencies of certain nutrients, which in turn can lead to osteoporosis, diabetes and other medical conditions later on, according to EmaxHealth.com.