Dieting Hazards

Dieting Hazards

The issues with diets are, not everyone is the same, what may work for one could

harm another. With all the quick fix diets available today it is no wonder when one diet

fails we look to the next one that offers us false hope or fast results. The majority of the

population has become lazy and overweight and is just looking for the miracle pill or diet

that will make everything all better with out too much work.

Being overweight or obese brings its own hazards to the table, hazards such as

insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease, stroke,

cancer, sleep apnea, gall bladder disease, gout, low back pain and osteoarthritis.

Although many health care professionals realize the harm in rapid weight loss

and do not recommend very low-calorie diets to their patients, the patients use them anyway,

if told to lose weight. If unnecessary weight loss is a health risk, then the fact that half the

American women and a quarter of the American men diet at any given time is worrisome.

(Timberlake, 1999)

All diets have hazards, and there are studies that prove bad dieting can damage

ones health. Some psychological side effects of bad dieting are anxiety, depression,

compulsive eating and bulimia. Physical side effects to bad dieting include a decrease in

lean muscle tissue, including the heart tissue, loss of bone minerals, hair loss, gout,

gallstones and not to mention high blood pressure.

Stephanie Rogers states,” Millions searching fruitlessly for new miracle diets to

fight the flab succeed only in boosting a multi-million pound slimming industry. A

depressing 95% of dieters fail to lose weight long-term. The multitudes of diet products,

drugs or slimming organizations just don’t deliver permanent weight loss.” (Rogers,

1997)

A report on resent research done on long-term weight loss may encourage many

to leave “fad diets” to make lasting changes. Research shows that from a group of

participants that successfully lost weight the average was 73 pounds and was maintained

for over a period of six years. 90% of the groups participants used physical activities is

their weight loss programs, and 88% made careful food selections.

Robin B. Kanarek PhD, professor of nutrition and