Losing weight is a marathon, not a sprint. Though we all want to shed pounds as quickly as possible, especially for an upcoming event like a wedding or reunion, crash dieting is never the answer. The temporary results are not worth the long-term dangers.
In this article, we'll have an honest conversation about unhealthy weight loss, help you determine a healthy goal weight, and explain why extreme dieting can seriously damage your health.
What Is Unhealthy Weight Loss?
If you're looking to lose weight, dropping 1 to 2 pounds per week is the healthiest approach. 1 Losing more than this can be dangerous and often leads to weight regain.
A 2016 study in Obesity followed 14 people who lost an average of 100 pounds over 30 weeks. 2 While losing a large amount of weight in a short time may seem impressive, researchers found some alarming effects:
- Decreased leptin: Leptin is a hormone that controls hunger. Participants had low leptin which led to constant cravings.
- Slow metabolism: Participants experienced a decrease in thyroid function. The thyroid plays a vital role in controlling metabolism and various bodily functions. 2
A follow-up study conducted six years later revealed that most participants had regained the weight they had worked so hard to lose. Even more concerning was the fact that their metabolism and leptin levels never fully recovered to their pre-weight loss state. 2
This research underscores the importance of opting for gradual weight loss. Slowly shedding 1 to 2 pounds per week allows your body to adapt without negatively impacting your hormones or metabolism. 3
How Much Weight Loss Is Unhealthy?
When it comes to losing weight, staying within a healthy weight range is crucial. The simplest way to gauge if your weight is in the healthy zone is to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a measurement that accounts for both your height and weight to categorize you into a weight status. 4
You can quickly calculate your BMI using the CDC's BMI calculator for adults. Just plug in your height and weight, and it will instantly determine your BMI. It will also tell you which weight category you fall into:
- Below 18.5: Underweight
- 5 to 24.9: Healthy weight
- 25 to 29.9: Overweight
- 30 and above: Obese 5
The sweet spot is having a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, which is considered a healthy weight range.
Now, BMI isn't perfect - it can't differentiate between fat and muscle mass. So, very muscular people may have a higher BMI without necessarily carrying too much fat. But for most of us non-athletes, BMI gives a decent snapshot of whether we’re at a healthy weight. 4
Risks of Unhealthy Diets
Losing weight quickly can be tempting. It's natural to want to see big changes fast rather than making gradual lifestyle tweaks over time. But crash diets that promise dramatic weight loss often backfire. While dropping pounds rapidly might sound ideal, these plans can jeopardize your health and sabotage your long-term weight management.
Gallstones
Your gallbladder is a tiny sac that holds bile, a fluid that helps break down fat during digestion. Bile is made in the liver, then stored and concentrated in the gallbladder until needed. Sometimes the substances that make up bile can crystalize and form solid lumps known as gallstones. 5
Unfortunately, losing weight very quickly seems to increase the risk of developing gallstones. Some studies have found that up to 25% of people who eat an extremely low-calorie diet of 800 calories or less per day end up with gallstones. This seems to be linked to rapid changes in fat metabolism that occur when dropping pounds fast. 5
Losing Lean Body Mass
When you lose a lot of weight, it's rarely just fat that disappears. Some of those vanishing pounds are lean body mass - your muscles and bones. This is especially true if you're following a very low-calorie diet. Studies show people on these crash diets can lose over 25% of their lean body mass. 5
That lean tissue loss matters more than you might think. Losing bone tissue early in life may contribute to frailty and fractures as you age. And shedding muscle doesn't just harm your strength and metabolism - it's also tied to poor health outcomes as you age. 5
Poor Nutrition
Our body depends on the food we eat to supply it with essential nutrition like protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients are critical for our health, growth, and day to day functioning. Since we can’t produce many of these nutrients on our own, we have to consume them regularly in our diet to avoid deficiencies. 5
When people severely cut back on the amount or types of food they eat, it becomes very difficult to meet all their nutritional needs. Some fad diets eliminate or strictly limit entire food groups like carbohydrates, fats, or dairy which makes it nearly impossible to get a balanced mix of nutrients. While we can survive short periods without certain nutrients, extended deficiencies lead to serious health issues. 5
Conclusion
Unhealthy or extreme diets are never worth the risks. The short-term gains are not worth the long-term consequences. Any weight lost through extreme measures often returns quickly, and you may permanently damage your metabolism and hormones in the process.
Losing weight should be a balanced and sustainable journey. Focus on developing healthy habits and making gradual changes that you can stick with long-term. Small adjustments to your daily diet and exercise regimen will serve you far better than any fad diet.
The content in this article is intended for informational purposes only. This website does not provide medical advice. In all circumstances, you should always seek the advice of your physician and/or other qualified health professionals(s) for drug, medical conditions, or treatment advice. The content provided on this website is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
