The twenty-first century has seen a proliferation in the number of fad diets and extreme weight loss programmes touted to consumers desperate to change their bodies. There are serious health concerns attached to the majority of these diets that claim to be a quick fix for muffin tops, bingo wings and wobbly thighs, which dieters are not always aware of, or choose to ignore in the hope of achieving the 'perfect' body. This is not helped by stick thin celebrities advertising unrealistic and unattainable diets like the maple syrup diet, the caffeine diet and the chain smoking diet. However these diets force people to give up food almost entirely, with no emphasis on exercise and with dieters putting all if not more of the weight they lost, back on when they fall off the wagon and enjoy one of their favourite treats.
Below we shall discuss some of the most dangerous fad diets that are promoted by celebrities, diet industry officials and manufacturers all hoping for a slice of the multi-billion industry that is weight loss. They all have major health risks attached to them and whilst they may show dramatic short term results, if you don't have the dedication of a nun, it is a certainty that you will put the weight back on within days of stopping the diet.
The Maple Syrup Diet was used by Beyonce in preparation for her role in the hit flick Dreamgirls. On the diet the star lost 22lb in just 14 days as she drank nothing but a drink made up of lemon juice, water, cayenne pepper and maple syrup. This wasn't on top of regular meals however; it replaced them, which meant that Beyonce ate no solid food for two weeks! The singer admitted that the diet left her feeling exhausted, run down, ill and craving food of any kind, and that once she had finished filming and stopped the diet, she was back to her pre-diet weight within days. In fact, any diet that places an emphasis on sugar and sugar substitutes including maple syrup and honey are normally breaching FDA Compliance laws, with very few sugar substitutes having gained FDA approval to be used as sweeteners. This is due to the health risks involved, primarily, the proven link between a high intake of artificial sugar and cancer. The health risks related to the maple syrup diet alone include gum disease, tooth rot, acidic build up and all the dangers related to being physically and mentally exhausted.
Caffeine can speed up the metabolism, which can in turn speed up weight loss. So whilst we would not say that drinking a couple of cups of coffee a day are bad, when you take this to the extreme, your body is put under immense strain and pressure trying to deal with a caffeine induced high. Renee Zellweger, Paris Hilton and Mary-Kate Olsen have all been spotted replacing meals with huge cups of strong coffee or cans of caffeine-rich energy drinks like Red Bull. When the body is flooded with caffeine and starved of normal food, it is deprived of the nutrients it needs to perform healthily, with side effects including high blood pressure, collapse of the nervous system and miscarriage in pregnant women. So swapping meals for coffee or energy drinks is definitely not a sensible weight loss solution.
Some celebrities are taking the search for the 'perfect' body too far and have started a practice with health risks so common that even little children know about them. Chain smoking has become the new lazy-girls way to losing weight as the chemicals inhaled during every puff speed up your metabolism. It is also claimed that smoking can reduce your appetite. Celebrities like Katherine Heigl, Victoria Beckham and Lindsay Lohan have all been snapped with cigarettes in their mouths whilst they were eating and drinking, admitting that they do this disgusting habit to keep the weight off. However, the women that use smoking as a way to stay slim do very little exercise, their skin and face age years and they are at a much higher risk from cancer, heart failure and muscle damage. A recent study at Glasgow University has also found that girls who smoke between the ages of 16 and 24 are more likely to have a flabby tummy and half the young smokers were overweight or obese. Hopefully this study and others like it will convince young girls that the glamorization of smoking is not worth the health risks involved and might actually have a negative effect on the search for a flatter stomach.
The only way to lose weight healthily and so it stays off is to incorporate a balanced diet and regular exercise into your lifestyle. If you starve yourself of food your body is deprived of the nutrients it needs to develop and function properly, which means that you age quicker and are at risk from developing serious diseases. If you have any concerns over what foods, drinks and ingredients do not comply with the Food and Drug Administration, do some research online at their website.
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