Diet gun

Very low-calorie diets have the following negative effects that affect people who follow them:

1. Lack of Nutrients

Very low calorie diets DO NOT provide the necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements, quickly causing fatigue, weakness and can lead to symptoms such as headache, dizziness, decreased concentration and health problems such as low hematocrit, anemia, gallstones, dehydration, amenorrhea, hair loss.

2. Muscle Mass Loss

In extreme very low calorie diets, the body often breaks down muscle tissue for energy because the energy it receives from food is minimal.

The breakdown of muscle tissue in the long term is accompanied by great weakness and difficulty in performing even simple household tasks that require some muscular effort.

3. Increased Hunger

The exhausting diet INCREASES the hunger hormone (ghrelin) which stimulates appetite, increases food intake and fat storage, DECREASING the main satiety hormone (leptin) which reduces hunger and increases fat burning.

This leads to intense hunger and cravings, making the diet functionally unworkable.

4. Psychological Fatigue

The severe deprivation of food due to very low calories leads to psychological fatigue which can result in episodes of overeating.

After the end of the very low-calorie diet, the body stores fat more quickly, leading to weight regain, which if weight maintenance is not implemented with a balanced diet equal to the calories of the ideal weight and the activity of the person, then the weight regain may be greater than the initial weight at the beginning of the diet.

5. Unsustainable Eating Habits

Very low-calorie diets do not teach proper eating habits, as a result of which when weight loss is achieved and the person returns to a normal diet, they will not know how to eat properly, they will not know how to manage their weight.


Sources and articles that may help:
Very low calorie diets are associated with transient ventricular impairment before reversal of diastolic dysfunction in obesity
Regulation of metabolic health and aging by nutrient-sensitive signaling pathways
VERY LOW CALORIE DIETS AFFECT LONG TERM WEIGHT LOSS AND HEALTH OUTCOMES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Low calorie diets linked to heightened risk of depressive symptoms
Mental health consequences of dietary restriction: increased depressive symptoms in biological men and populations with elevated BMI
Psychological aspects of obesity and very-low-calorie diets

Psychology of Dieting