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Crash diets can prove to be unhealthy

By Kirsten Kwon

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Lauren Kathe planned to limit herself to eating strictly cabbage soup and vegetables for two weeks. She hoped her crash diet attempt would result in lightning-quick weight loss and a boost in energy.

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Photo by Jerry Wang

Students can become fixated on their body image at this the time of year, according to Ann Chapman, coordinator of nutrition services at Watkins Memorial Health Center. Some students might turn to crash dieting or weight loss supplements as a quick weight loss solution.

Kathe, a senior from Algonquin, Ill., tried this crash diet two years ago. She thought she’d be in great shape to tackle the Christmas eating season by cutting out most foods. Instead, she became sick within the first five days, and all the weight she lost returned. Kathe’s friends and family were not big fans of her crash diet.

Healthier dieting

To lose weight, Ann Chapman, coordinator of nutrition services at Watkins Memorial Health Center, suggested students eat a healthy diet that is low in fat and high in fiber. She urges an emphasis on fruits and vegetables to create a balanced diet, and also on aerobic exercise. She offers her assistance through Watkins Health Center by appointment. Chapman also sits at the Ambler Student Recreation Center on Monday from 4 to 5 p.m.to answer any nutrition questions students have.

“Mostly people didn’t think I needed to lose weight and thought I was crazy,” Kathe said.

A crash diet is a very restrictive weight loss plan that involves significantly cutting back on calorie and fat intake. In most cases, people who participate in crash dieting do so for two to five weeks in hopes of losing a drastic amount of weight in a short period of time. Some reports show people have lost 12 to 20 pounds upon the completion of a crash diet.

With spring break only a week away and the warm season approaching, some students are thinking of ways to lose weight fast and might turn to crash diets.

Ann Chapman, coordinator of nutrition services at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said this is a time of year when some students can become fixated on body image.

“I do think students get very focused on their bodies and body image before spring break, and they will work out more and eat less because they’re going to the beach,” Chapman said. “Some are being more restrictive or using unhealthy eating regiments for a short period of time.”

Chapman said fad or crash diets will produce weight loss, but only if strict diet rules are followed. Also, the restrictiveness of crash diets can actually lead to binge eating, she said.

“In general, if you eat too few calories, you’ll be so starved you’ll end up overeating,” Chapman said.

Although a crash diet can be seen as simply a “quick fix,” these types of eating habits can lead to more serious issues. The lack of nutrients alone deprives the body in the same ways starvation would.

In that sense, crash diets can deliver serious side effects comparable to those of eating disorders.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, nearly 10 million females and 1 million males are currently battling eating disorders in the United States. These disorders can range from anorexia and bulimia to binge eating.

Kathe said she experienced some side effects while crash dieting.

“Because my body wasn’t receiving the proper amounts of nutrition, I became very sick during the diet,” Kathe said. “At first, it felt like a cold, and after five days I had strep throat. I was so tired and worn down.”

But crash dieting isn’t the only quick fix people turn to as a way to shed several pounds in a short time.

CLEANSES

Cleanses have received attention on some talk shows as being healthier than other crash dieting fads. Cleanses aim to detoxify the body and clear out poisons. Weight loss is another perk. Some cleanses involve eating only fruits and vegetables while even stricter ones call for drinking juice and eating nothing.

Some celebrities, such as singer and actress Beyoncé Knowles, have publicly praised cleansing.

Beyoncé said she used the “master cleanse,” which consists of drinking a combination of lemon or lime juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper mixed with water to slim down for her role in the 2006 movie “Dream Girls.” On this master cleanse, Beyonce lost 20 pounds, according to an August 2006 article in the New York Daily News.

Chapman said she thought cleanses are unnecessary and called them “hype.”

“Your body is designed to take care of toxins on its own so that you don’t need to use a cleansing process,” Chapman said. “It’s marketing. They convince the public that they have all these toxins in their system.”

SUPPLEMENTS

Supplements such as Hydroxycut and Slim Shots advertise their weight loss claims on TV and in magazines. These types of supplements and diet pills are used to complement cleanses or diets.

Cathy Thrasher, pharmacist at Watkins, said just because pills were on the market didn’t mean they’re safe. She said in many cases the Food and Drug Administration was slow to detect unsafe diet supplements.

“If the product doesn’t make a medical claim, they can sell it,” Thrasher said. “Then, unless something bad happens and someone brings the problem forward, the FDA doesn’t take it off the market. I don’t think most people are aware of that.”

Although some face the unhealthy consequences of dieting, Kathe said that because of her experience she wouldn’t try another crash diet. Instead, she’s managed to shed pounds by following a healthier eating and exercise plan.

“I definitely think crash dieting can be harmful,” Kathe said. “It’s an ineffective way to lose weight. Two years later, I am 10 pounds skinner. I lost it by eating better and maintaining activity.”

— Edited by Jesse Rangel

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