This Is How Weight Loss Can Seriously Affect Your Health

The minute we type in the phrase "weight loss" on any of the Internet search engines, thousands of blogs, articles and videos pop up, right? And most of these blogs or vlogs have one thing in common, they all talk about how losing weight is healthy and important, and they give us tips and pointers on weight loss techniques and so on. However, we rarely see information that lets us know how dangerous weight loss can prove to be and how it can be very harmful for our health, when it is not done in the right way.

Now, we may already know of the fact that, maintaining a healthy weight and making a conscious effort to lose weight when our BMI (Body Mass Index) is more than normal, is an ideal way to remain healthy.

This is because when we are overweight or obese, it could cause a whole range of diseases, right from minor ones like indigestion to major ailments such as heart diseases.

So, we must definitely make an effort to lose weight when we need to; however, it must be done in a healthy way, otherwise weight loss can be dangerous.

So, here are some of the reasons why unhealthy weight loss can be harmful for health.

• Sarcopenia
• Malnutrition
• Electrolyte Imbalance
• Gallstones
• Heart Diseases
• Menstrual Irregularity
• Constipation
• Depression
• Cancer

1. Sarcopenia

Many a time, we notice people who want to lose weight quickly going in for crash diets and exercising extremely, hardly eating any food! While they may attain the results in the form of a quick weight loss, they can also suffer from a condition known as sarcopenia, or muscle loss, which is caused when the body is put under starvation mode by not consuming enough food. Then, the body starts to use up the muscles for energy, resulting in this dangerous condition!

2. Malnutrition

This is quite an obvious health concern which can occur when people starve themselves to lose weight rapidly. Naturally, when the body is not getting enough nutrients, it begins to go weaker, as there are not enough energy sources being ingested, causing a condition known as malnutrition. This condition can further lead to nutrition deficiency and in extreme cases, organ failure!

3. Electrolyte Imbalance

When people try to use "quick-fix" weight loss methods in order to shed kilos very fast and take in very little food, their body will be getting very little minerals. When the body does not receive enough minerals such as sodium, glucose, potassium, calcium, iron, etc., it can lead to electrolyte imbalance, which in turn leads to vomiting, fever, diarrhoea, etc.

4. Gallstones

Development of gallstones is a rather unexpected health hazard of rapid weight loss. Usually, gallstones are associated with people who are obese or overweight. However, in some cases, when people follow unhealthy weight loss methods like extreme dieting and exercising, the bile is not cleared from the body properly. This could cause the bile in the liver to harden and form stone-like deposits in the gallbladder, known as gallstones. This condition may require surgery!

5. Heart Diseases

When the body does not get enough nutrients, as a result of people trying to starve themselves or eat very little, in order to lose weight quickly, the blood pressure of the body becomes very low. When the blood pressure is low, the heart will have to work extra hard to pump blood to the different parts of the body. This can cause a number of heart ailments in people and can also cause heart failure.

6. Menstrual Irregularity

When women try to lose weight fast by consuming very little food or just sticking to fruit and vegetables all day, it can seriously damage their menstrual cycle and consequently their fertility. When the body does not receive enough nutrients, hormonal imbalances will be caused in the body, leading to irregularities in the menstrual cycle.

7. Constipation

A number of surveys and research studies over the years have shown that people who follow fad diets in order to attain quick weight loss often suffer from indigestion and constipation. This is because the body does not receive enough fibre and the stools get hardened in the intestines, leading to constipation.

8. Depression

As we know, depression is one of the most serious mental ailments that has become very prevalent among people these days. Now, most of us may not relate unhealthy weight loss to depression, as it is a mental disorder. However, when people follow unhealthy dieting regimes to lose weight rapidly, their brain does not receive enough nutrients. This can cause an imbalance in the brain chemicals, causing depression and anxiety.

9. Cancer

According to a number of research studies, rapid weight loss, which has been attained by depriving the body of nutrients can also trigger certain types of cancers, such as breast cancer, kidney cancer, colon cancer, etc. due to certain chemical changes that occur in the body, due to unhealthy weight loss methods.

It is to be understood that consumption of junk/processed foods, over a period of time, lead to the accumulation of all the chemicals in the fat cells of the body. During weight loss, the fat is converted to energy leading to the release of toxins that have collected in the fat cells. These toxins can ultimately lead to the cancer cascade.