Losing weight isn’t easy, especially as you get older.
But one Australian doctor has revealed why crash dieting – fast weight loss with rapid results – can be particularly bad for your health.
‘If you’re changing your weight dramatically or losing lots and lots of kilograms even over a couple of weeks, a lot of that weight is just in fluid so you end up being just really dehydrated,’ Dr Brad McKay said on Today Extra.
‘People will often feel tired all of the time, they’ll get bad breath, they’ll often have abdominal problems as well but also it puts a lots of strain on the heart.’
Speaking on Today Extra Dr Brad McKay explained that crash dieting is simply fast weight loss that has rapid results
‘If you’re changing your weight dramatically or losing lots and lots of kilograms even over a couple of weeks, a lot of that weight is just in fluid so you end up being just really dehydrated,’ he explained
Dr McKay said that one of the main problems with crash dieting is the effect that it has on the heart.
The heart is busy trying to pump blood around the body and when people are heavier it has to try and push against the resistance that it is facing.
This puts a lot of strain on the vital organ.
‘Then [with crash dieting] you’re taking that weight away and the heart is going ‘yay’ and then you’re putting it back on again,’ he said.
‘So it doesn’t create a gradual change, which is what we should be doing.’
‘People will often feel tired all of the time, they’ll get a bad breath, they’ll often have abdominal problems as well but also it puts a lots of strain on the heart,’ he said
Dr McKay said that one of the main problems with crash dieting is the effect that it has on the heart
Dr McKay said that there are certain signs people should look out for to know if their body is being impacted by crash dieting.
‘One of the most common signs of having heart issues is if you’re getting central chest pain or central chest tightness,’ he said.
‘Some people explain it like being a belt tied around their chest and tightened.’
Dr McKay explained that people should be particularly weary if they experience this sensation during exercise.
This is because it is when people are putting their body under the most strain.
‘[Your body] needs more oxygen and if you’ve got any blocked arteries that’s when you’ll be noticing some increased breathlessness too,’ he added.
Dr McKay explained that people should be particularly weary if they experience tightening of the chest during exercise
Instead of losing weight hard and fast and piling it back on later, Dr McKay said people should aim to do it gradually and slowly and also check in with their doctor.
He also said it is important that people have their blood pressure and cholesterol checked and keep themselves hydrated.
‘Make sure you’re fit enough to get to the gym rather than starting off with an extreme sport or getting a personal trainer and going crazy,’ he said.
‘If you’re loading up your plate with food, load it up with vegetables first and putting on a little bit of meat on later if you have to.
‘Making sure you have those five serve of veggies and two serves of fruit per day is really important.’
When people are over the age of 50 is when they need to be more concerned about their heart but if they have a strong family history of heart disease they need to think about it before then.