Rise in Obesity Related to Quick Weight Loss Diets?
Editor’s note: This is a guest article from Andrew B. He writes at How To Stop Eating, a binge eating blog which contains tips to recovery from compulsive eating.
Due to the increase of obesity in today’s society everyone is looking for quick weight loss. This is dangerous, and can lead to developing binge eating disorder. Eating disorders are psychiatric abnormalities in one’s eating habits. Tabloids display the secret eating disorders of movie stars and musicians. Yet the news never discuss how dangerous these eating disorders really are, and how common they are.
Most quick weight loss techniques require crazy unrealistic diets. Obviously these diets never keep the weight off. Even if a diet works, often the pounds lost are gained back slowly simply because no one can diet forever. The problem with quick weight loss trial is that they often require you to avoid junk foods and fast foods. This often leads to binge eating.
Binge eating is consuming very large quantities of food in a short period of time. Binge eating isn’t related to hunger most of the time. Often it’s consuming food beyond the point of satisfying one’s physical hunger. Binge eaters often eat large amounts of food even when they aren’t really hungry. Binge eating usually leads to feelings of guilt or sadness because of the future weight gain it will lead to.
Following the popular advice of diets that recommend avoiding junk foods and fast foods is dangerous. When one avoids such foods, one starts craving them more and more. These carvings get out of control and usually lead to binge eating. For example, if a person has been avoiding cookies, and then decides to eat one, he’ll often end up eating several more and lose control.
It’s important to note that binge eating is different from bulimia. Bulimia usually involves overeating which is followed by self-induced vomiting, or fasting. Binge eating is also one of the main causes of obesity today. Obesity is very dangerous for one’s health, yet often it’s very challenging to treat.
Often obese individuals eat for comfort, and develop food addictions. These addictions can also be a form of emotional eating. Emotional eating is basically when one eats not to satisfy physical hunger but rather to deal with tough or negative emotions. Stress eating is a common example where one will consume more food on a stressful day.
Binge eating is usually kept a secret. A food addict will usually overeat in private to avoid others finding out about their disorderly eating habits. This is why binge eating is very tough to treat because sufferers often keep it a secret. Many will overeat until becoming obese and then will eventually feel desperate and seek help.
Therapy is the most common treatment for binge eating. There are also recovery clinics that a binge eater can check into. Additionally there are many books on the topic where the authors share their own recovery efforts, what worked for them and what didn’t. There are also support groups such as overeaters anonymous and eating disorder support forums online.
Next time you are thinking about quick weight loss, think again. Trying to lose weight quickly is unrealistic and dangerous. Also being obsessed with your body shape can lead to developing eating disorders. It’s best to lose weight naturally through exercise, and slowly implementing healthier eating habits.
I think the best way to lose weight is the slow and steady route. It takes time and unfortunately most people are to impatient to wait for the miracle to happen. I look at weight loss like a savings plan. If you invest right you will have something great in the future to look forward to. A healthier fit you, makes a richer life to live. Do you agree?
I agree. I lived a better life when I was healthier.
Great article. Losing weight takes patience and discipline. Retraining your thoughts are very important so you do not become obsessed over every step of the program. Make it a fun journey and enjoy the ride. Losing the weight the proper and healthy way will reduce the chance of gaining it all back. Being healthy and fit definately contributes to a much more fun life.
Very well said. Thanks.
It’s all getting worse I think! Anyone that has the “best diet” idea comes up with a bogus diet!
Most diets are the same fundamentally, eat less and workout more.
great post. slower is better and healthier. I get annoyed everytime i see crazy diets/products advertised on TV or hear them on the radio.
@ Blake, Yea I can see that TV diet stuff a mile away making claims like “lose 50lbs in 24hrs!” LOL Your right Slower is better.
What are they asking you to do, cut your arms off?
Informative post. I was once tempted to try the quick,overnight weight loss thing but I decided that doing it the hard way was better for my health in the long run.
I’ve been there and done that. It doesn’t work most of the time.
Whenever I get really strict with my diet – I end up loading up later. I just accpet plateaus and try not to just limit fast food. My wife and I will still eat regular meals once or twice a week. Sage advice Israel
I know the feeling. It’s a feeling of “I was good and didn’t eat that much, so it’s okay to eat this junk”. You try to rationalize the balancing out of things.
It’s basically the crash dieting that forces you to load up on lots of food (especially carbs) later on in the day. If you eat small frequant meals, you should not have any problems.
That may be true, but it does not work for everyone.
Quick weight loss diets are worse that not doing daily exercises.
Daily exercise is key!
Hi!! This post is a very valuable piece of information indeed!! Thanks a lot for the excellent tips. I believe in dieting but I am not a radical where dieting is concerned. I think that you should eat enough but at the same time we should know what exactly is eating enough. Do not hog. Enjoy the food and stop the moment you feel full. Eat small meals and eat often to keep your metabolism rate fired up and also to reduce your cravings. It is also very important to eat a Eat Balanced- It is very important to watch what you eat… Avoid fats, fried food, sodas…stick to balanced, healthy, nutritious meals. And all this with regular exercise is a really good way to eat and yet keep off weight. And yes … do maintain a food diary. It helps you note down how much food goes into your mouth without really being noticed… It is really important to keep tabs on what you eat… so a food diary comes very handy…happy eating folks!!
Thanks for contributing the common sense advice.
Weight loss diets are good for those who have discipline in maintaining the program. Otherwise it would be useless.
First of all congrats on the weight loss.
It is really sad to see how people are just neglecting themselves so much and the worst thing is exactly what you comment on your entry: even when they want to change their lifestyle, they might make things worse.
Dieting is just like life, there’s no ‘quick fix’, no such thing as a ‘free lunch’. Anything worthwhile has to be worked at, so eat sensibly, exercise carefully, don’t try to do it all at once. Rewards will follow.
Well said Judith, well said.
I totally agree about not restricting particular foods, it can easily turn into obsession as you said.
I think it’s good to allow a little of what we like regularly in our diet, I know I wouldn’t want to do without my chocolate!! 🙂
Indeed. I love my chocolate, always have, always will.
Losing weight takes patience i lost 15 kg and i will not say that it was easy but patience and determination can make your journey easier
The results will make it all worth it.
You have some great comments and information posted here. A principle thing that I would recommend pursuing isn’t necessarily to eat less, but the watch what is in the food you are eating. For instance, if a food item lists “hydrogenated” anything, put it back on the shelf.
I am beginning to hate food. All the added ingredients, fancy names, AHHHHH!
The best thing to do is to stop putting pressure on yourself. Take time and maintain a steady healthy eating habit combined with exercise. Treating yourself with your ‘guilty pleasures from time to time can also help to reduce your cravings.
I consider sports as the best way
I love sports and plan on joining some local sports in the area.
Great article. I think that so many people like myself, are looking for the magic diet that will reverse years of bad eating habits in an instant. After years of unseccussful diets I realized that most of these diets lead to starvation and in turn failure. What I have found is that by allowing myself to eat more throughout the day, that I am less likely to over indulge in foods that are otherwise bad for me. When I eat more throughout the day, I don’t feel deprived and I am also more likely to pass on food that I will regret later.
Great post!! I have recently overcome the problem of binge eating with a lot of therapy. I am advice to all the binge eaters is to get over it as soon as you can. it can be really difficult to giver it up. i for one, needed a hell lot of therapy and guidance to get over it. So if you are a binge eater, find a solution now!!!
Good Post. People must also prepare themself’s mentally that will help them not to eat junk foods.
I agree. Some people go for the quick weight loss method. They should be educated and do the slowly but surely way. This will benefit them more.
I agree..even I am not live in a better life..some of my family member are in the stage of being obese.. hope soon they can recover…