Why Losing Weight May Kill You

All of us know that obesity is unhealthy and if we are obese, then we should lose the excess body fat to to stay healthy. Doctors and fitness experts advise people who want to lose weight to do it healthily with good eating habits and regular exercise.

Unfortunately, most people just don't have the patience to do it as advised. Some people even take extreme measures to lose weight too quickly. That is not only unhealthy, it may even kill you.

With the influences of fashion magazines flagpole thin models, the desire to lose weight quickly is so great that many people are willing to compromise their health in the weight loss process. Herebelow are some dangerous ways of losing weight which you are advised to refrain from.

a)Extreme Calorie Deficit Diets - This concept is to eat as little calories as possible. So people resort to skipping meals or go on extreme calorie deficit diets. Although these extreme diets may result in some weight loss, but the weight loss comes not only from body fat, but water and muscle as well.

In more extreme cases, the dieters may develop vital nutrient deficiecies, they may even develop potentially fatal eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.

b) Diuretics - Diuretics are medicines that make you urinate more so as to reduce water retention in your body. These pills do not make you lose body fat, but water instead. Your body respond to this is to protect itself by retaining even more water. This response triggers a vicious cycle of diuretic usage since the dieter now need to take even more diuretic pills to get rid of the new water retention.

The main danger of using diuretic pills is dehydration. Dehydration can be a seriously life threatening affair because the person on diuretics is losing vital fluids, electrolytes, key minerals which are vital for the function of the heart, kidney and liver.

c) Laxatives - Similar to diuretics, laxatives do not cause fat loss, but the drug make you empty your bowels so that you become lighter. Just like diuretics, you will also lose a lot of water and your body responds by retaining more water. Thus the cycle of taking more laxatives to get rid of the water retention begins once again.

People relying on laxatives often develop constipation when they stop using the drug or worse, they have to increase their dosage to be able move their bowels normally. Their bowels may become permanently damaged and the condition may kill the victims. Furthermore, abusing laxatives may cause electrolyte imbalance, dehydration, blood in stools, severe abdominal cramps and violent vomiting.

d) Ipecac Syrup - The Ipecac syrup is used to induce vomiting for patients of poisonings. People with Bulimic eating disorder often use it to induce vomiting with some of them dying from its side effects.

Ipecac Syrup is known to cause systemic toxicity when its active ingredient, emetine builds up in the cellular tissues and weakens the heart resulting in irregular heart beats, chest pains, breathing problems, heart attacks, shock and death.

e) Prescription diet pills - These pills are often prescribed by medical practitioners to obese patients because they are very effective in stimulating weight loss. These diet pills usually suppresses the appetite of the patient as they stimulate the nervous system.

Some dangerous side effects of prescription diet pills include hypertension, insomnia, cold sweat, nervousness, fever, palpitation, hyperactivity, fatigue, dizziness, heart arrhythmias, headaches, vomiting, cardiac arrest, stroke and blurred vision.

So if you want to lose weight, then do it in a healthy way with good eating habits and a regular exercise routine. Why should you risk your life with unhealthy weight loss methods that may kill you?

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