The Side Effects Of Crash Dieting

When you're in a rush to lose weight, a crash diet may seem like an effective solution. They're quick, they promise drastic weight loss and they provide simple instructions. Crash diets, like the Master Cleanse, the Last Chance Diet, and the cabbage soup diet involve eating the same food or drink mixture exclusively and may cause serious health problems -- even death. Talk to your doctor before making any changes in your diet.

Nutritional Deficiencies

Most crash diets involve eating low-calorie portions of the same food or food groups for several weeks. Even if you're only trying the diet for a week or two, eating such a strict diet of the same foods can cause nutritional deficiencies. Eating a varied diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein and whole grains provides the vitamins, minerals and nutrients you need throughout the day. Eliminating one or more of these food groups will not provide you with adequate, long-term nutrition.

Yo-Yo Weight

Although it is possible that you will lose weight while following a crash diet, keeping the weight off is a different story. When you drastically limit the amount of calories you consume for several weeks, you will probably lose weight. But because it's nearly impossible to follow the strict, low-calorie diet in the long run, the weight loss is not sustainable. As soon as you return to your normal eating routine, you will probably gain all of the weight back again.

Gastrointestinal Upset

Many popular fad diets like the cabbage soup diet and the Master Cleanse involve consuming mostly liquid calories. The cabbage soup diet recommends eating a homemade cabbage soup concoction, while the Master Cleanse suggests drinking nothing but a maple syrup and lemon juice solution for several weeks. Consuming mostly liquids may cause gastrointestinal upset, stomach pain, flatulence and diarrhea. Crash diets, including the Master Cleanse and the cabbage soup diet, should only be attempted under the strict supervision of your doctor.

Death

Even if they are purportedly approved by doctors, fad diets are not safe. The Last Chance Diet, created by Dr. Robert Linn, involved drinking a liquid protein drink for every meal. Between 1976 and 1978, more than 50 people died while following the diet. They experienced heart failure due to metabolic imbalances in the body. In 1984, Stanley Burroughs was charged with involuntary manslaughter and illegal sale of cancer treatments when a man with cancer died while following the Master Cleanse diet under his care. Although the Master Cleanse still circulates as a popular fad diet, the dangers of the diet are rarely discussed.