Understand Fad Diets and illness

Understand Fad Diets and illness

Fad diets are a sort of diet plan or aid that aims at losing weight, usually in a relatively short time. Fad diets attract a large number of people who suffer from weight problems and are helplessly looking to some way of arriving at a shapely physique. The problem with fad diets is that their fat-reducing effect is temporary and results in quick regain of weight. What is worse is that most of these diets are harmful to health.

Fad diets are not as new as they might seem at first. These date back to the mid 19th century when an obese Londoner was prescribed such a diet on experimental basis. Now, after a century and a half, fad diets have become popular among people with weight problems. Teens and young adults especially flock to fad diets for answers to weight problems.

Fad diets are usually centered on a higher consumption of fats or proteins while stressing to go easy on or, in some cases, completely cut out carbohydrates. It is the low intake of carbohydrates that brings about rapid weight loss. In fact, this rapid loss is the loss of water that glycogen has stored. With loss of glycogen, the large amount of water stored in it is also lost and body weight drops. The fats are still there and as the fad diets are given up, the body regains its proportion of water lost. Weight is put back on as fast as it was lost.

Normally, carbohydrates remain the source of energy for work. With fad diets, the carbs are no longer there so the body starts using the stored fat, breaking it down. This may appear beneficial but in fact it is not. In the absence of carbs, fats cannot be completely oxidized and put to work. Hence, the body feels fatigued and weak. In addition, the ketone molecules resulting from the fat-breakdown accumulate in the blood and are excreted out via urine, causing dehydration.

Given the harmful health effects of fad diets, it is important for us, especially the weight-conscious people, to recognize and beware of these diet plans. Watch out for diets that:

• Promise quick weight loss

• Publicize before and after pictures

• Present weight-loss testimonials

• Tend to limit natural food choices

• Require a large sum of money

Fad diets may be popular, but they can greatly hurt your body. Be careful with any diet or exercise program and ask your doctor to be sure it is safe.

Illnesses

There are illnesses that you can get from dieting and they are called eating disorders. There are two main types and they are anorexia and bulimia. There are about 2 million people in the United States that are suffering right now from one of these eating disorders. These illnesses are going to be more likely in girls and women than in men however there are male patients that are battling eating disorders as well.

Anorexia is showing up more and more in teenagers. This is true more so for girls of middle to upper class families. Men and boys suffer from anorexia but not as often. Anorexia is when a person will not want to eat when they need to in order to survive. There are anorexia patients that avoid eating most of the foods that are out there but will also be more likely to follow activities like grueling physical exercises in order to make their weight come down. Usually their weight is already below normal. Gaining weight is the worst fear of a person with anorexia. The excessive weight loss that anorexics usually have will cause hormonal disturbances in women and girls and will seem to have a number of health problems that can occur.

The reason behind anorexia has not been found out yet. There are health experts that believe that biological, nutritional and psychological causes combined will lead to this disorder. There are social and environmental causes like puberty, a death in the family or any other stress related reason could lead to this. There is not one single treatment that will exist for anorexia at this moment. There are medications that are going to treat depression that is associated with anorexia. The psychological and family support is going to need to be there for the patient come of their eating disorder without fear.

Bulimia nervous is a common eating disorder where the patient is going to have a tempting urge to eat. They will have repeated episodes of binging in a very short amount of time. The patients of bulimia are going to be very afraid of obesity and this will lead them to do self-induced vomiting in order to get the food out of their body. Patients will also try laxatives, diuretics, strict fasting, and dieting of any kind. They will also want to do hard physical exercises for their body to prevent the weight gain. These are all going to be hard on the heart and kidney functions as well.

Anorexia and bulimia are far more often seen in girls rather than boys. However there are men that suffer from the disorders. There are around 7% of the young women seeking heath advice or treatment that suffer from bulimia. Like anorexia, the cause of this disorder is not known. There can be no one effective treatment for the disorder. Medication may be used to help treat depression and there is counseling that can help as well. Having the support of family is going to help the bulimic patient as well. Both anorexia and bulimia are dangerous and life threatening to anyone. If you are or know someone that is suffering from either one, this is not a good diet and you need to find help immediately.