health and safety: DIET DRAMA

Thursday, May 21, 2009

DIET DRAMA

How far would you go to lose a few kilos? Kiran Mehta speaks to Samreedhi Goel on some unhealthy and often dangerous weight loss measures that are unfortunately popular

LAXATIVE ABUSE
As is common, most people on strict diets find themselves cheating. Damage-control comes in the form of downing a laxative. Overusing laxatives is another form of purging, similar to bulimia.
Why it tips the scales: Abuse of laxatives leads to immense water loss, which shows up as weight loss, temporarily. Your body will gain those pounds instantly when allowed to recuperate.
Beware: Prolonged or repeated use of laxatives can result in worsening of constipation and loss of bowel mobility. Loss of water is accompanied by loss of potassium and sodium, which can adversely affect the heart. Laxative abuse can also soften bones as it interferes with Vitamin C, D and calcium absorption. Drastic weight loss measures can result in gastric bleeding, ulceration of the bowels, and intestinal injuries.
MONO DIETS
Mono dieters stick to just one type of food through out the day, such as raw vegetable juices.
Why it tips the scales: The diet kills your appetite. There's just so much juice you can down! Juices alone — no matter how 'healthy' — won't give your body nutrients.
Beware: Vegetables and fruits are laden with pesticides. Raw vegetables, consumed without cooking, can increase toxins in your system. Result is severe dysentery, diarrhoea and indigestion.
    Mono diets can cause severe imbalance and deficiencies as your body is deprived of a variety of food groups. The result is depletion of Vitamin B12, C, D. In the long run, this can result in anaemia, lowered immunity levels and slowing down your body's ability to heal from diseases.
SOUP AND SALAD DIET
So you're not 'starving' yourself — in fact you're eating health! Break that myth. Skipping major food groups — fibre, protein, fats and sugars — will lead to malnutrition.
Why it tips the scales: Soups and salads do not provide any bodybuilding material, so the weight you lose is muscle mass. Muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue so the amount lost in a short time seems like a lot. This diet is not easy to sustain and when you get back to a normal diet, you will balloon up as loss of muscle mass slows down metabolic rate!
Beware: You cannot expect your body to be free of side-effects while you ignore its daily nutritional requirements 'just till you lose weight'. The major food groups don't contribute calories alone, they are the source of vital nutrients such as Vitamin A, B, D, E, K, iron, calcium, folic acid and fat soluble vitamins. Goel warns that this extreme diet has landed more than a few in hospital, hooked to saline!
CASE STUDY
"At first, I used to get palpitations and break into cold sweats when I downed laxatives. Now I am used to it. I am a complete foodie and can't live without non-vegetarian food.At home, I can control my diet but when I eat out, I tend to binge. I am chronically constipated and don't go more than a week without a laxative. Over the years, I've tried out several and now take a rather strong one.
    "Sometimes, even though I've already had the laxative that week, I'll take it again if I have a party to attend the next day. I have seen that my weight drops when my stomach is cleared.
    "Just like any other medicine, there are side effects, but my body doesn't react adversely anymore. Earlier, I would feel guilty when I downed these medicines frequently. But when I delivered my child, my doctor prescribed laxatives so that my stitches wouldn't be compromised.And that's what really helped me drop my guilt.
    "It started when I was a college student. To catch some extra sleep and make it to the lectures on time, it made sense to down a laxative, rather than sit longer in the loo!"
— A 32-year-old, who wants to lose 9 kg to reach her ideal weight
(Samreedhi Goel is a nutritionist and personal trainer who runs her exercise studio - Size Wise at Santa Cruz, West)