SHABIHA NUR KHATOON
Nutritionists aver that the habit of following a crash diet or multiple dietary regimes is not just counter-productive but dangerous. The desire to lose weight quickly is damaging as it triggers several health complications
Dieting, in simple language, is eating food in a regulated and supervised fashion to decrease, maintain, or increase body weight. A restricted diet is often used by those who are overweight or obese, sometimes in combination with physical exercise, to reduce body weight. Some people follow a particular diet to gain weight. Diet can, therefore, be used to maintain a stable body weight and improve health. Today dieting has become a fad the world over, which underlines the positive fact that people are aiming for a healthy lifestyle and focusing on what they eat.
There are people who follow a strict diet plan to keep themselves slim and fit, while there are a few impatient ones who are so busy for instant results that they choose to be on multiple diet regimes or fad diets. Fad diets, which promise quick and easy weight loss, appeal to many people across age groups. Unfortunately, this kind of type of weight loss is unhealthy and difficult to maintain. Fad diets certainly work wonders in the near term, but in the long-term they invite serious health problems.
Fad diets usually claim to help you lose weight quickly and easily with minimal effort. The promise of better results in about a few weeks is tempting to many people, while it also raises suspicion. Experts believe the only way to lose weight effectively is by adopting a healthy diet accompanied by regular exercise.
Mumbai-based dietician, Kajal Khaturia, said fad diets, or very low calorie diets, can affect health drastically. Multiple diet regimes, therefore, is not a good option for a healthy life.
“A fad diet is simply a weight loss diet that becomes popular in a short span of time as it promises quick solution to weight loss. The claims made in fad diets are not scientifically proven,” she said.
The dietician informed that fad diets are extremely low in calories, which promote a higher percentage of a single nutrient such as protein and fat.
Khaturia explained the consequences of fad diets: “Very low calorie diets lead to a drop in the metabolic rate, a condition in which the body’s own reserves break down to provide energy. This leads to loss of muscle mass which in turn leads to lower metabolism. This affects overall health. It also affects skin and hair.”
“If fad diets promote a higher percentage of just one macronutrient like protein or fat than we land up with deficiencies, as a high-protein diet poses risks for the kidneys,” the dietician added.
“Healthy lifestyle starts with eating healthy and feeling healthy,” she said, adding physical activity ought to be an integral part of daily routine. Sunday POST presents a table of tips suggested by Khaturia about the ideal way of following a healthy lifestyle:
- Diet, which is a combination of all vital nutrients, should be followed.
- A substantial amount of macronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, fats and water as well as micronutrients like vitamins and minerals should be included in the diet.
- Not just the quantity of macronutrients but also the quality of macronutrients matters. Incorporate good carbohydrates like oats, whole grain cereals, fibre in form of green leafy vegetables and fruits.
- Incorporate good quality proteins like eggs and lean meats. Good quality fats like omega 3 fats are found in flaxseeds, fish and walnuts.
- The most important point is not to neglect water intake. Do not wait till you get thirsty to drink water as by the time you are thirsty, you already are a bit dehydrated as the tongue becomes dry.
- Drink at least 2 to 2.5 litres of water every day.
- Also, sleep well. At least 6-8 hours of sleep is essential.
Vaishali is a dietician and nutritionist who lives in New Delhi. She said, “Nowadays people are following multiple diet regimes to attain their desired goal. They are setting goals that can never be reached in quick time. Many people go on crash diet or low calorie diet, or follow other fad diets just by googling without any expert guidance. Following a fad diet or multiple diet regimens may lead to health issues like drastic weight loss that may lead to diabetes. Taking proteins and supplements for a prolonged period of time without any supervision may affect your kidney filtration rate and may lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, or may create hormonal imbalance. So it is advisable to follow a single diet regimen to attain a desired goal.”
The Delhi-based dietician says that for a healthy life one should focus more on physical exercise and avoid stress. “One should at least do either brisk walking or yoga, or any other physical exercise as per their interest and convenience. The best way to have control on diet is to eat homemade fresh food,” she added.
Food for thought
Losing weight within a short period of time can lead to different health-related issues. The following are a few:
- People become so over excited about losing weight quickly that they forget that rapid weight loss makes metabolism sluggish leading to future weight gain.
- It also deprives the body of essential nutrients indirectly weakening the immune system.
- The so-called fad diets dehydrate the body and increase heart palpitations, all of which lead to cardiac stress. This also increases chances of heart attacks.
- Low calorie diet leads to muscle loss especially heart muscles along with damaging blood vessels. All of these lead to the set up for artherosclerosis, a leading factor for myocardial infarction or heart attack.
- It may cause ventricular arrhythmias that also lead to death of heart muscles. Ventricular arrhythmias is attributed to the deficiency of potassium, magnesium, copper and sodium which in combination work for skeletal and smooth muscle contraction, which in turn pumps blood through the body.