The Dark Side of Dieting

Tempted to shed a few kilos before the party season begins? Well, if you plan to go on a diet, it’s important to be informed about certain things. We have Dr Anjali Mukerjee with us who will help you take the right measures to lose the extra body fat you are tired of carrying.

Diets, in the context of improved eating plans, are helpful when one is overweight, to reverse health issues or to maintain healthy body weight. However, a large number of people attempt to lose weight by following fad diets. While such diets will most certainly help you lose weight, they are extremely dangerous for your health.

When Diets Go Unhealthy

The youth tend to be obsessed with their weight today because they equate unnatural thinness with beauty. Today’s youth beat themselves up emotionally over unwanted weight. Their moods depend upon the reading on their weighing scale. They condemn themselves for indulging in a dessert or feel guilty about eating too much. They become self-critical and anxious about their weight. Any diet in which you eat fewer calories which help in getting through the day can be dangerous. Fad diets posted all over the internet tempt a large number of young people to follow them, with promises of losing several kilos. Such diets generally cut out fats, sugar, carbs, vitamins and other essential nutrients that the body naturally requires in small quantities. Some of them also guarantee that you will lose a good number of kilos if you skip meals and consume special pills or food bars. Then there are those diets that only let you consume liquids if you want to lose a lot of weight.

Deep Impact

Unhealthy dieting is dangerous and is associated with serious health consequences. Besides, once you stop these extreme diets, you will end up putting on weight faster over the long run, making it that much more difficult to shed a good number of kilos. People, who manage to lose weight by following a healthy diet plan, are more likely to look young and fresh. However, those who follow crash diets begin to look gaunt and lose the glow on their faces as they miss out of crucial nutrients that are essential to our bodies. Young people on extreme diets end up facing a number of unwelcome health issues like parched and itchy skin, chipped nails, hair loss, leg cramps, insomnia, bad breath and stretch marks.

On the psychological front, it is very difficult to endure the lack of nutritious food or even small quantities of your favourite foods over a period of time. The most common consequence of feeling food deprived is binge eating, which in turn makes one feel guilty after consuming large amounts of food. This may result in Bulimia, an eating disorder characterised by binge eating, followed by vomiting in an attempt to rid oneself of the calories consumed. Another eating disorder which stems from the mental aspect and desire to have a perfect body is Anorexia and involves the refusal to maintain healthy body weight and the obsessive fear of gaining weight.

The warning signs of a dangerous diet

• Dieting even if one is not in the least bit overweight
• Eating secretly or thinking about food all the time
• Restricting activities such as going out with friends since there might be food involved
• Withdrawal from friends and family
• Weakness, headaches, dizziness and other physical symptoms
• Vomiting after meals or taking laxatives

The goal of any healthy weight loss programme is to decrease body weight and increase energy and immunity levels at the same time. If you are concerned about your weight, it’s best to make an appointment with your doctor or dietician so that you can share your weight-related worries. He or she will then be able to inform you if you really need to lose weight or you are at a healthy weight. You will also be advised about a healthy diet and exercises to help you shed kilos in a healthy way.

Dr.Anjali Mukherjee, is a Nutritionist and Founder, Director – Health Total, which has 15 centres in Mumbai and treats obesity and other health-related disorders.

The effective and healthy way to lose weight involves:

• Detoxifying your body organs, namely, liver, colon, kidneys, blood and lungs with the help of herbs and nutritional supplements.

• Rejuvenating the organs, which have become sluggish due to toxic overload. Also, nourishing every cell in the body with the intake of vitamins, minerals, raw vegetable juices and nutrient-dense food supplements so that metabolic activity is boosted and the body begins to function at its optimum capacity.
• Following a sensible food plan that matches your body chemistry along with an exercise plan. This helps to bring the body to a state of balance and the body starts shedding weight with ease. It helps correct hormonal imbalances, improves digestion and assimilation and boosts immunity, thereby revving up energy levels.