5 Adverse Side Effects of Diving into a Diet, According to Science

Adverse Side Effects of Diving into a Diet According to Science
(Photo : Lee Hulsman)
A jogger is seen exercising on Manly beachfront on December 19, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. A cluster of Covid-19 cases on the northern beaches of Sydney continues to grow causing other Australian states and territories to impose restrictions on travel ahead of the Christmas holidays. The source of the cluster has not yet been found.

Losing weight is a treat we can offer and give our body as it is related to a healthier lifestyle and improved body performance. With the help of social media and people posting their progress trying out different diet trends, more on more individuals are convinced that they can also lose weight through the same diet trend they follow undergone, without knowing the adverse side effects it also brings.

According to UHS Berkeley, dieting has become the national pastime, especially for women. They add that Americans can spend about 40 Billion dollars a year on dieting and other diet-related products. If you plan to dive into a diet trend, here are the ugly side effects of dieting when it is not done correctly.

Fatigue

Do you always feel tired and sloppy? The culprit may be the diet you are practicing. According to On Health, not consuming enough food or not eating enough nutritious food can cause fatigue.

This only means that your diet might not be right for you because it might require cutting off some of the healthy foods, like carbohydrates. Eat This Not That references a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine demonstrating that removing carbs is related to a greater risk of fatigue.

Read also: 5 Dinner Mistakes That Will Lead to Weight Gain

Muscle Mass Bye-bye

Although dieting may promote losing weight, most of the time, the body's muscle mass is also affected. The Globe and Mail report that dieting alone can strip away or shed off muscle along with body fat. They also mention research suggesting that 25 percent of weight lost during dieting is from muscle, which is alarming because it will affect your physical strength and performance.

Eating Disorder

Dieting can lead to an eating disorder, which is not notable. In an article by Joshua Zimmerman, MD with Health Partners, Zimmerman shares that dieting can be very damaging, especially to women noting that there is a link clear link between repeat dieting and developing an eating disorder because overtime, cutting calories may lead to starvation that can stimulate voracious hunger and cause you to overeat. He recommends focusing on an overall healthy lifestyle instead of numbers in calorie intake.

Feel Sick

Since Intermittent fasting is at its peak, you may be thinking of trying it. However, Harvard Medical School reminds that depending on the length of the fasting period. People may experience headaches, constipation, lethargy, and crankiness. They recommend switching to alternate day fasting instead of periodic fasting to reduce the diet trend's unwanted side effects.

Depression

Eat this Not That references the words of the director of administrative services at Harold C. Schott Foundation Eating Disorders Program from the University of Cincinnati, saying that chronic dieters' self-esteem is decreased by persistent feelings of failure of messing their diet once again making them lose control over their food choices. This only means that dieting can affect one's mental health.

With these adverse side effects of dieting, you might want to consider consulting an expert before trying the diet trends which are prevalent nowadays. Remember that a healthy body equates to nutritional well-being.

Related article: Dietitians Debunk 5 Worst Diet Myths That Are Ruining Your Health

WATCH: Does Dieting Lead to Eating Disorder? from EmilyProgram 

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