Unhealthy Ways to Lose Weight

People all over the world want to shed some weight, with skyrocketing obesity rates and the accompanying health complications it is important to maintain a healthy body weight.  There are healthy and unhealthy ways in which to go about losing weight, but statistics show that a diet high in fruits and vegetables, low in fat and refined sugar, coupled with regular exercise will allow a person can lose the extra weight and keep it off permanently.

There is a rise in people who seek to lose weight quickly and with the least amount of effort possible, which is a dangerous practice and can lead to rebounding back into unhealthy habits that cause a person to regain the lost weight and packing on more pounds.  Websites, diet pills, diet drinks, meal supplements, special crash diets and fasting plans all tout the ability to help a person lose a large amount of weight in number of days or weeks, these plans are falsely advertised, do not work and are not regulated or approved by the United States Food and Administration (FDA), which can be very dangerous and cause many different health complications and in some cases death.

Weight loss is a process which requires dedication on the part of the dieter, the safest way to lose weight is by eating healthy foods, limiting fats, sugars and carbohydrates, reducing meal portions and incorporating a weekly exercise routine.  A person should never attempt to lose weight in an unhealthy way because of the irreparable damage that can be caused to the body and health. For those who are trying to lose a considerable amount of weight, consulting with a dietary specialist, nutritionist and other skilled medical professionals is necessary before beginning any diet or exercise plan.
 

Unhealthy Weight Loss Methods 

In the following article, unhealthy weight loss is discussed and why it is so important to resist the urge to try to an extreme or unhealthy diet plan.  The following methods are extremely unhealthy and should never be used as a permanent weight loss by anyone as the side effects and methods can be dangerous and result in life-threatening consequences. 

 The following methods should never be attempted when trying to lose weight:

•    Starvation diets:  starvation diets are not the same as periodic fasting.  With a controlled fast, the body is detoxified and cleansed using a physician recommended plan while being physically inactive.  The fast is only done for a specific period of time, after which the person goes back to a normal, healthy diet plan.  When a person starves the body, nutrient and vitamin levels become insufficient and the body cannot function effectively.  Starving the body can result in loss of bone, muscle, fat and electrolytes which can lead to many health problems.  When starvation is used for weight loss, the body actually becomes malnourished and begins feeding upon its fat and muscle stores to be used for energy production, this can lead to a weakened immune system, and decline of cognitive function and in severe cases, death can result.

•    Drugs:  for many years people have tried using illicit drugs or prescription amphetamines to lose weight and the results can be devastating.  Any medication which is not prescribed by a licensed medical professional is unsafe for weight loss because it can have varying affects on different people.  The drugs used for weight loss have the potential to be abused and can lead to an addiction, which can be catastrophic for some people.  The side effect of discontinuing weight loss medication is unavoidable weight gain and sometimes withdrawal symptoms, which can result in death in some people.


•    Purging:  to purge means to vomit, which eliminates food from the body directly after eating.  The behavior is common among people with anorexia nervosa and is so highly addictive a person may be unable to stop doing it.  People who vomit to lose weight can experience a wide variety of health problems such as dental caries, gum infections, trachea and gastrointestinal tearing and fistulas from stomach acid damage, electrolyte and hormonal imbalance, stomach rupture, ulcers and many other dangerous health problems.  Purging robs the body of nutrients and vitamins and over time chronic vomiting can make a person more susceptible to developing esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is a deadly cancer.


•    Laxative Abuse:  laxatives are compounds which induce a person to have a bowel movement.  Laxatives are available in powder form, pills, anal suppositories, liquids and teas.  People have abused laxatives for years in the quest to lose weight and because of the fact the food has already been partially digested, the weight loss from laxatives is water only.  Laxative abuse can lead a person to experience gastrointestinal difficulties, stomach problems, hemorrhoids, anal fissures, stomach ulcers and many other health problems.

•    Smoking:  research shows that people who smoke cigarettes have an increased metabolic rate, which results in appetite suppression.  For some people this is enough of a reason to justify smoking in order to promote weight loss and is just as unhealthy as or worse than a person being obese or overweight.  Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of developing lung cancer by more than 85% and can lead to heart disease, stroke, hypertension and many forms of cancer.


•    Detoxifying Drinks or Meal Replacement Shakes:  these products while touted to allow the user to cleanse the body and promote drastic weight loss, detoxifying drinks or meal replacement shakes can lead to permanent health damage because of herbs or other compounds which can be unhealthy or toxic to humans.  The ingredients found in some of these products might contain unknown substances which are unapproved and not regulated by the FDA, which can be dangerous and even fatal to people.


Overview


Losing weight is not meant to be a quick or fast process, people need to remember that losing weight happens gradually, and it is going to require time to lose the weight in a healthy manner and keep it off permanently.  Avoiding unhealthy methods to lose weight and focusing on good nutrition, doing regular exercises and drinking plenty of water will allow a person to achieve the maximum weight loss in the healthiest manner possible.