Many fad diets are promoted these days. They all seem to advocate the same thing—eating just a small amount of food and losing weight fast. That might sound like an ideal situation for anyone trying to lose weight, but most people don’t realize that fad diets can lead to eating disorders. Let’s take a closer look at how fad diets promote eating disorders and why you should avoid them if you want to improve your long-term health and well-being.
The Extremes of Fad Diets
One of the reasons fad diets can promote eating disorders is that they are extreme. Fad diets often involve drastic changes that aren’t sustainable. For example, you might be told to completely eliminate one type of food (like carbohydrates) from your diet, which isn’t healthy or realistic. Further, extreme diets often promote eating a minimal amount of food each day, which can lead to an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia.
…Can Lead to Anorexia
Most people know what an eating disorder is and that it is a mental disorder that causes someone to have an unhealthy relationship with food. However, two types of eating disorders can be triggered by fad diets: anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia is characterized by an obsessive desire to restrict calorie intake.
Those with anorexia might eat only a very small amount of food each day in an effort to lose weight or avoid weight gain. Anorexia can be caused by fad diets because many of these diets promote eating a very small amount of food each day. Fad diets may also cause anorexia because they often involve eliminating a type of food (like carbohydrates) that may be abundant in a person’s diet. Anorexia can be very serious and can cause long-lasting damage if it isn’t treated.
…Can Lead to Bulimia
Bulimia is another serious eating disorder that fad diets can cause. People with bulimia often binge eat lots of food in short periods of time, followed by self-induced vomiting. This practice is known as binging and purging. Fad diets can cause bulimia because they often advocate eating a minuscule amount of food each day or eliminating a type of food altogether. If a person fails to adhere to the restrictive diet, they may decide to purge to rid themselves of the forbidden food.
…May Lead to Binging Later
If you are on a fad diet that promotes eating a minimal amount of food each day, you might be fine during the initial stages of the diet. However, you may eventually feel extremely hungry and end up binging later. Binging can be a sign that you need to increase your calorie intake.
Eating a very small amount of food each day is simply not enough to sustain your body. Binging can lead to serious health and psychological issues, especially if it happens frequently. It can also lead to weight gain in the long run. Fad diets often cause binges because they can be severely restrictive, which is not sustainable in the long run.
Fad diets often involve eating just a small amount of food daily, which is not sustainable and can lead to dangerous eating disorders. Nutritionists and dieticians recommend that you eat healthy, nutritious foods that you enjoy every day in moderation. This will ensure you get the nutrients your body needs while also remaining within a healthy calorie range. If you have any concerns about your eating habits, visit a medical professional. For more information, please call The Guest House at (855) 483-7800.