There are many people who go on diets; whether it’s to lose weight or maintain their weight. Some go into them knowing what they’re doing and have a plan set specifically for them, but then there are other people who go on a diet without knowing the risks. Those who approve of diets believe going on a diet is an easy or healthy way to lose weight. Then there are the people who do not approve of diets being healthy because of the nutrimental deficiencies. I do agree with those who don’t approve of diets being healthy because of the health and nutritional values that may be fatal. I was a vegan for two years. Being a vegan consists of always having the struggle to find foods that are affordable yet healthy. Losing the weight is nice and all, but now I get blood tested every three months due to the fact of not consuming calcium since drinking milk was a big “no-no” for being vegan. Which is why I don’t agree with dieting being a healthy way to lose weight.Bodies have many necessities in order to work. Carbohydrates are particularly necessary for a person’s body and their nutrition.
They’re what gives the energy to bodies so they can to do things they need to do. It helps the muscles work more by providing the ‘fuel’ our nervous system needs. Roni Caryn Rabin’s ‘Nutrition: Risky Additions to a Low-Carb Diet’ explains how going on a “low-carb diet” can hurt a person’s nutrition rather than make them healthier. Although carbs are based on sugars and starch, people should still consume a regular amount of them to keep their bodies going. Rabin reports saying those who go on low-carb diets have a 12 percent chance increase in death rather than those who eat foods with a higher amount of carbs. She then explains how those who go on low-carb diets tend to eat more meats to have more protein, but that only increases a person rate of getting cancer by 28 percent. She analyzed data from “More than 85,000 healthy women aged 34 to 59 who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study, and almost 45,000 men aged 40 to 75 who took part in the Health Professionals’ Follow-Up Study. Participants filled out questionnaires every four years.” (Rabin, Roni C.) Altogether, she explains how risky going on this type of diet can become. Dieting can lead to many health issues. One of them being bulimia which is a type of eating disorder that is very dangerous for a person’s health. Bulimia is when a person doesn’t eat for some time and when they do, they consume so much food to the point where they need to throw up, or they force themselves to throw up. They also perform so much exercise.
This way they think they’re losing weight by not consuming food, but regurgitating when they do eat. Although they are losing weight it isn’t the healthiest way to lose weight. Roni Caryn Robin’s ‘Diabetes Meets Bulimia,’ tells the audience a story of a girl who develops bulimia by purging all the food the would consume. On top of that, the girl is already underweight and takes insulin because she has type one diabetes. The scary part is how she skips her insulin and doesn’t eat, but when she does she’d force herself to throw it up. Robin explains how the lack of insulin makes the girl feel even more sick and weak. People with Type 1 diabetes, who don’t produce their own insulin, require continuous treatments with the hormone in order to get glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. When they skip or restrict their insulin, either by failing to take shots or manipulating an insulin pump, it causes sugars, and calories, to spill into the urine, causing rapid weight loss. Even though the girl feels and knows she’s losing weight, she isn’t losing it in a healthy way. The girl believes the ‘diet’ she’s on is making her look better than the way she was. Robin then explains the statistics of what can happen to someone who does what the girl does by purging and not taking the necessary medication.
After reading the two articles that support the idea of how diets aren’t healthy, many issues are raised. People need to be aware of what a diet can do to them. If they’re thinking of going on a diet it’s best to see a nutritionist first to know if their body’s going to be capable of staying on a diet and not getting sick. They also need to be aware of all the health risks that come with being on a diet and how their bodies can suddenly change because they are changing a routine for their bodies by either, consuming different foods or not consuming as much as they normally do. Diets aren’t really the best option to go on to lose weight or to be healthy. Then there are those who believe there are positives to dieting. Nicholas Bakalar wrote an article titled ‘Nutrition: A Low-Calorie Meal Is Shown to Pay Off’. He conducts a study that consisted of eating one reduced-calorie meal a day and then eating what you want the rest of the day. Which can be an effective weight-loss method:For two weeks, researchers had 17 men and women eat all their meals and snacks, as much as they wanted, at a buffet where the exact quantities consumed could be weighed and caloric intake calculated. Then for the next two weeks, the participants ate a 200-calorie lunch, a commercially available food like a Kashi bar or a Lean Pocket. Not counting lunch, the participants consumed 1,568 calories on days they had the 200-calorie lunch and 1,560 on days when they did not an insignificant difference. (Baklar, Nicholas)The participants consumed 245 fewer calories on low-calorie lunch days. The outcome of that was weight loss a norm of 1.1 pounds per participant in two weeks.
He goes on to reveal how easy it is to lose weight and be healthy by consuming the equivalent quantity of food, but just with diverse calories. Although calories should be watched and counted carefully because an excess amount of calories can and will be stored as fat. One thing Bakalar doesn’t consider though is the risks of what consuming little amount of calories can do to one’s body. Calories, just like carbs give us energy. Calories aren’t completely bad for someone. A body needs calories just like carbohydrates for the energy. But eating too many calories and not burning enough of them off through physical activity can lead to weight gain. Baklar does give a point when mentioning the weight loss that occurs when consuming fewer calories, but he should’ve mentioned what could possibly happen if you cut out calories completely. For those who want to or are thinking about going on a diet to lose weight, looking into a low-calories diet might be useful. As long as they talk to a nutritionist beforehand so they’re aware of if their body will be able to handle it then they can start in it. Dieting can be challenging for anyone. Starting a diet isn’t as hard as staying with it and remembering to stick to it. It’s a big change for someone’s body, which can lead to a health hazard. There are many foods people should avoid eating, but foods that shouldn’t be avoided.
