Food fuels your body, providing energy in the form of calories to allow you to run, walk, think and function. Without adequate fuel, your body slows down. Five hundred calories a day for an adult male does not supply enough calories for your body to function properly and could leave you with potentially serious health problems due to a lack of nutrients. While the body can adapt to operate on such a calorie deficit for the short term, long-term adherence to such a low-calorie diet could have serious consequences.
Basal Metabolism
Your basal metabolism is the amount of energy your body uses to function daily, even if all you do is sit in a chair. Your body burns calories breathing, circulating your blood and carrying out other bodily functions. Doctors use an equation known as the Harris-Benedict equation to compute your basal metabolism. A 30-year old male who is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 150 lbs. has a basal metabolism requirement of about 2,000 calories a day. If you're only consuming 500 calories a day, you're operating at a 1,500 calorie a day deficit, or only about a quarter of the energy your body needs to function properly.
Weight Loss
To lose weight, you need to consume less calories than your body uses. A combination of dieting, which reduces the calories you consume, and exercise, which increases the amount of calories your body uses, can help you lose weight. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease recommends you aim for a weight loss of half a pound to 2 lbs. a week. This rate of weight loss allows you to continue to take in adequate nutrients and is sustainable for long periods of time. To achieve this weight loss, you need a calorie deficit of about 500 calories a day.
Consequences
Doctors sometimes use very low-calorie diets to help patients who are obese and whose weight jeopardizes their health. These diets rarely go below 800 calories a day, and patients on them are medically supervised. Consuming only 500 calories a day can lead to dangerous heart arrhythmia, which can be fatal. Also, very low-calorie diets put you at an increased risk of gallstones, anemia, bone loss, infertility while lowering your immunity, making you more susceptible to diseases. Poor nutrition on such a diet can cause hair loss, dry skin, difficulty concentrating, fatigue and gum infections. You'll show all the signs of malnutrition.
Anorexia Nervosa
An adult male who consumes only 500 calories a day should consult a doctor or counselor. Such severe calorie restriction could be a sign of anorexia nervosa. Though most people associate anorexia with women, men also can suffer from this psychological illness. Anorexia nervosa can be fatal if left untreated. Excessive dieting or a very restricted diet and a fear of becoming fat are two signs of anorexia nervosa in men.
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