Why Quick-Fix Weight Loss Solutions Don't Work
By
Meghan Vivo
March 26, 2008
Long-term weight loss isn't easy. That's why it's so tempting to look for a quick fix or magic pill that promises to make the process effortless. Despite warnings from health professionals and nutrition experts, people flock to fad diets, diet pills, and even weight loss surgery to shed unwanted pounds. If you're in a rush to see results and have tried everything else, you may be tempted to go to extremes. Unfortunately, the only answer to your weight loss dilemma is to move more and eat less.
Fad Diets
In our celebrity-obsessed culture, we have been brainwashed to believe weight loss success requires drastic measures. For example, singer and actress Beyoncé Knowles lost 20 pounds in 14 days to play a role in "Dreamgirls" by drinking a blend of water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper on the Master Cleanse or "Lemonade Diet." When "My Name Is Earl" star Jaime Pressly needed to lose weight after giving birth to her son, she turned to the "Cabbage Soup Diet."
Celebrities aren't the only ones with a fascination for fad diets. There are a number of popular quick-fix plans that attract those desperate to lose weight fast. Favorites among dieters include fat-flush plans, liquid diets, the grapefruit diet, and low-carb plans of all kinds. Using a fad diet to get in shape for a special event like a wedding, holiday celebration, or reunion is a recipe for failure. You may look dynamite for the big day, but you'll almost certainly gain all the weight back - and more - afterward. Most fad diets are so extreme, they're bound to leave you frustrated and discouraged. Instead of teaching you how to keep weight off, quick-fix plans deprive your body of vitamins and nutrients that are vital to overall health and lead to yo-yo dieting - all in the name of dropping a few pounds.
Having trouble spotting a fad diet? There are a few red flags. Avoid diets that severely limit the variety of foods you can eat, that make unrealistic claims for fast and easy weight loss, that boast a "secret formula," or that offer "proof" of success based on personal testimonials (often by paid actors). No matter what a diet claims, always use common sense when deciding how to approach weight loss.
When it comes to getting in shape, it's no time to be trendy. While fad diets come and go, their impact on your health can last a lifetime. Unless you're hoping to star in a movie blockbuster, rise to fame as a pop icon, or become a swimsuit model, weight loss success doesn't require going to extremes. For most of us, a long-term diet and fitness plan, tailored to your needs, is the only sustainable way to get and stay in shape.
Diet Pills
Another quick-fix gaining in popularity, despite the negative press and lack of supporting evidence, is diet pills. Diet pill use is common among young people, with studies revealing that approximately 30 percent of teenage girls have used diet pills at some point. According to the American Dietetic Association, spending on weight loss products in the U.S. reached $43 billion in 2004. Many of these products come with significant health risks, ranging from nausea and diarrhea to hypertension and depression, and no guarantee of results.
Since most weight loss supplements use stimulants to boost metabolism, heart-related complications are at the top of the list of diet pill dangers. There is also a risk of dependence, as well as other side effects such as anxiety, depression, nausea, upset stomach, and diarrhea. Alli, the over-the-counter version of Xenical, is the latest drug to promise quick and easy results. It works by preventing you from digesting 25 percent of the fat you consume, but heed this warning: If you eat too much fat, you'll experience some not-so-pleasant digestive side effects.
Meridia, another prescription diet drug, encourages weight loss by tricking you into feeling full. Though you may lose weight quickly, it can raise blood pressure which increases the risk of heart attack or stroke. In fact, Meridia was temporarily banned in Italy after 50 adverse reactions, and in 2002, a nonprofit group petitioned the FDA to ban it in the U.S., citing evidence that Meridia was associated with 29 deaths and hundreds of adverse reactions. The FDA declined to ban the drug, but is monitoring its safety.
What about "natural" weight loss supplements? They're sold everywhere (you've probably seen the infomercials), from your local drugstore to the Internet. Even though these supplements claim to be made with herbs and other natural ingredients, they haven't been well-studied and are not regulated by the FDA. Bitter orange extract, for instance, is a common ingredient in many weight loss supplements that is being touted as an "ephedra substitute." (Ephedra was banned in 2004 after causing more than 16,000 adverse events, including several cases of stroke and death.) Products containing bitter orange have been found to significantly increase heart rate and blood pressure. Despite all of these risks, research suggests bitter orange doesn't even help people lose weight.
Weight Loss Surgeries
As obesity rates continue to climb, more and more people are electing to have bariatric weight loss operations like gastric banding and gastric bypass. The number of bariatric procedures jumped 40 percent, to 80,000 in 2002, and rose to 120,000 in 2003. Demand for weight loss surgery, particularly lap band surgery, is also on the rise in the teen population. The number of adolescents undergoing bariatric surgery for weight loss more than tripled between 2000 and 2003.
The health risks of weight loss surgeries are numerous. They include nutritional deficiencies, gallstones, and side effects like vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, bloating, excessive sweating, and dizziness. Corrective surgery is needed in up to 1 in 5 cases to treat abdominal hernias, infections, and other complications, which poses additional health risks. Since weight loss surgery is a relatively new phenomenon, the long-term implications are still unknown. If patients don't make lifelong diet and exercise modifications, it is possible to stretch the stomach and gain the weight back.
Even though weight loss surgery can be considered a quick fix, it is truly the only answer for some people. Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more (which is about 100 pounds overweight for men and about 80 pounds for women) are considered appropriate candidates for weight loss surgery. When medically necessary, the procedure and subsequent weight loss can cure diabetes, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and improve asthma, back pain, arthritis, and sleep conditions. However, experts are concerned that doctors are beginning to perform these risky surgeries on people who don't really need them and are just looking for a quick solution to their weight problem.
Although surgery may be the only answer for some, there are stories all over the news about people who lost upwards of 100 pounds through diet and exercise. For teens and young adults, one of the best ways to lose weight and embrace a healthy lifestyle is at a weight loss camp. Rather than spending a lifetime coping with the side effects and complications of weight loss surgery, teens learn to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives, and address the emotional issues at the root of their overeating.
No matter what your weight loss goals are, it's more important to take a moderate approach to a long-term plan than to achieve remarkable, but unsustainable short-term results. Rather than turning to a quick-fix solution like a fad diet, diet pill, or costly surgery, spend the time and energy nurturing a healthy lifestyle. You're worth the investment.
Related: What is fat camp?
Comments
I really don't trust those quick fix weight loss solutions available in stores because they contains harmful chemicals and instead of making you slim, it makes you lazy enough to do your daily exercise and routines or even your household chores. It makes my worst nightmares even when I'm done writing jobs in several occasions.
It's so easy to fall for fad diets because I always want it to be easy - you'd think after trying so many of these diets I'd figure it out - but I'm so tempted when I hear about the next "miracle" diet!
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