Contributed by – Healthians Team
Weight is an universal problem, hardly anyone is satisfied with their current weight. Losing weight is always on the to do agenda for most of us. Good health always means having a healthy weight and losing those extra inches is mostly a good idea. Today the market is flooded with diet plans to lose weight quickly, crash diets, extensive weight loss programs etc. But, what is really important is to understand the relationship between health and the correct body weight.
Did you know that losing too much weight too fast can be harmful for your health? Yes, it is actually true, losing weight is not always an euphoria moment, sometimes it can also be bearer of bad news. Looking and going for quick fixes can seem like a comfortable way but are they really worth it.
Losing weight too fast means putting your health at a risk which can lead to severe health issues. Slow and steady weight loss plan is always a good idea, this way you can lose the unwanted weight without any side effects. This issue needs to be highlighted and a lot of emphasis should be put on this problem. A lot of us get tempted with the lucrative promises of quick weight loss and end up harming our health drastically.
Rapid weight loss: It is important to understand the concept of rapid weight loss. Losing weight around 0.45 kg-0.9 kg per week is a safe bet. But, losing more than that can be considered as rapid weight loss which can have an impact on the health. The common ways by which people try to lose weight are:
- Starvation Diets
- Consumption of diet pills or supplements
- Opting for very-low-calorie diets
- Overexercising
The start of exercises or diet plan witnesses rapid weight loss which is actually the water weight, the initial sudden weight loss is thus normal. It is important to get our facts right, let us read to know about the various health problems caused due to sudden weight loss.
Dehydration
Dehydration is one of the major side effects of losing weight quickly, it can lead to serious health complications. Crash diets are basically weight plan that helps lose the weight all of a sudden. This can cause severe dehydration and other health complications like fatigue, headaches, constipation and can further lead to much more severe health issues.
Disturbing The Body’s Equilibrium
Our bodies can adjust to the minor dietary changes and run smoothly but rapid and drastic changes can wreak havoc. Sudden weight loss causes electrolyte imbalance in the body. A sudden decrease in the food intake (by following crash diets) will lead to an unexpected reduction in the electrolytes level, particularly potassium and magnesium. The body in most cases is unable to handle this deficit which leads to impaired functioning of cardiovascular system and irregularities of the heart like arrhythmia.
Gallstones
Rapid weight loss of more than approximately 1.5 kg per week can increase the risk of gallstones. The quick weight loss can cause the cholesterol in the liver to seep in the bile which can lead to the formation of stones. It is always wiser to lose weight slowly and follow a proper weight loss plan. Completely avoid those crash course diets and severe fasting as the greed of losing weight quickly can seriously affect your health.
Slower Metabolism
Crash diets forces the body to go in the starvation mode inorder to conserve energy, which makes the metabolism process slow. These diets sure makes you lose weight quickly but it also causes muscle loss at the same pace. Muscles not only keeps us strong and toned but also boosts our metabolism. When we lose muscles, our metabolism slows down and slower metabolic process can affect the overall health.
Other Side Effects
Some other health disorders caused due to quick or rapid weight loss includes:
- Menstrual irregularities
- Headaches
- Constipation
- Dizziness
- Hair loss
- Malnutrition
- Irritability
Note: If you are losing weight quickly without even trying, it can be an indication of serious diseases like cancer, tuberculosis, celiac diseases, COPD, etc. Sudden and unexplained weight loss needs immediate and proper attention, it is extremely important to seek medical advice.
Obesity is one of the most prevalent health problem these days and is capable of affecting our health drastically. That is the reason, why people suffering from obesity are advised very low-calorie diets (VLCDS), as they require to lose weight. But these diets should be strictly supervised by dietitians and nutritionally balanced.
The key to a healthy weight loss is maintaining a balance and consistency and losing weight slowly and steadily!
