It is estimated that around 33% of the American population is seriously overweight or even obese. Affluence combined with improper food choices and lack of exercise have contributed to obesity of endemic proportions in the US and also globally. Many people have sedentary lives and spend a lot of hours in front of a computer daily with very little physical activity, leading to problems of being overweight.

It’s really no wonder that many people are just desperate to lose weight and become fit. There are many who would go to almost on length to lose weight. One of these rather unhealthy practices is fasting, which in its severest forms becomes starvation. Fasting has a few advantages as it sometimes helps in detoxification and also aids weight loss. But in the long run fasting to lose weight is disadvantageous as mentioned below:

1. Getting into famine mode: Lose weight by fasting does not always serve any meaningful purpose in the long run. If you’re fasting, your body gets adjusted metabolically to it and starts retaining calories as it gets into a famine mode. This lowers the metabolism and causes your weight loss program to go absolutely haywire. In fact the body holds on to its fat to sustain itself and keep it going when you are starving yourself.
2. Lack of nutrition: You must realize that fasting is one of the unhealthiest options ever. It deprives you of nutrients that are required for healthy living. The body needs vital nutrients to keep it going, derive energy, repair impaired cells and remain fit. When you fast, the body does not get these vital nutrients and is severely impacted health-wise. Do remember that the food we ingest provides minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fats that the body uses to rejuvenate itself. Excessive fasting to lose weight also deprives the body of necessary water and the body gets dehydrated. This lowers the immunity of the body and makes it susceptible to disease.
3. Ineffective weight loss: Fasting to lose weight does not cause optimal weight loss in the long run. True and permanent weight loss occurs when there is proper and controlled ingestion of calories at regular intervals through proper meals, combined with burning of calories through an exercise regimen. These are the pillars of any healthy form of weight loss. Fasting is just not adequate or proper.
4. Body conditions: Fasting is not always conducive for health. People who perform physical activity during a fast can end up with severe headaches. This is a way the body flashes an alarm to indicate that what is being done is not quite proper. People with diabetes, pregnant mothers, liver, and lung or kidney disease should not fast as it contributes to deterioration of their health.
5. Blood Pressure: Excessive fasting lowers the blood pressure dangerously which harms health and cause dizziness, nausea or even loss of consciousness. One has to monitor his/her blood pressure and ensure that it does not dip too much too soon. In extreme cases fasting diets can cause irregular heart rhythms or even death.

Fasting for a day at maximum is not harmful and can rid the body of toxins and make one feel lighter. However, prolonged fasts are extremely harmful as fasting to lose weight is not a healthy way.

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