Crash Diets Raise Risk Of Belly Fat

Experts in the United States (US) have raised the alarm over the negative health impact of crash diets, saying they cause short-term changes in the body that may lead to long-term health consequences, including more abdominal fat. The new study, which was conducted by researchers at Georgetown University in Washington DC, was released by the American Physiological Society.

Crash diets are those diets by which individuals try to lose weight rapidly in a short span of time. According to the American Acedemy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the fad and crash diets promise significant weight loss, often in a short period of time. These diets might drastically change the way a consumer eats, restricting certain food groups or only allowing the fellow to eat the same foods repeatedly.

They might also involve cleanses like the Lemonade Diet, where the consumer can only drink “lemonade” made from lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper for 10 days. Going by the new study, the researchers fed female rats with a diet that contained 60 per cent fewer calories than their normal diet — the human equivalent of going from 2,000 calories a day to an 800-calorie diet. Consequently, the diet quickly caused a decrease in body weight, blood pressure, heart rate, and kidney function, but all returned to normal when the rats resumed their typical eating patterns, the ‘Newsmax’ reported.

However, three months after the diet ended, the rats had accumulated more abdominal fat and less muscle than the control animals, and a hormone that increases blood pressure (angiotension II) was more potent. The researchers believe that the body changes might lead to long-term health risks for people who go on crash diets. The study’s authors noted that women are more likely than men to go on crash diets, and that’s why they used female rats. Offering other insights into why crash diets may not be the way to go, Lori Noble, MD, a physician at the The University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia said crash diets just don’t work.

She said, “Cleanses and fad diets are very temporary,” Dr. Noble said. “They’re not going to help you burn calories or fat in the long run. You may see a decrease in the number on the scale, but it won’t improve your overall health outcomes.” Weight lost during a crash diet is likely from lean muscle and water, not body fat, according to the AAFP. “I don’t like to tell patients to 'diet',” Dr. Noble said, adding, “There is no quick fix to lose weight quickly; so, planning is so important.”

Categories: Food And Nutrition