Though quick-fix diet plans have been proved to be unhealthy, they unfortunately remain popular among those who hope to shed a considerable amount of weight in a short period of time. With Spring Break on the horizon, a March 4 article by Kirsten Kwon of The University Daily Kansan warns students about the dangers of crash dieting:

A crash diet is a very restrictive weight loss plan that involves significantly cutting back on calorie and fat intake. In most cases, people who participate in crash dieting do so for two to five weeks in hopes of losing a drastic amount of weight in a short period of time. Some reports show people have lost 12 to 20 pounds upon the completion of a crash diet.

With spring break only a week away and the warm season approaching, some students are thinking of ways to lose weight fast and might turn to crash diets.

Ann Chapman, coordinator of nutrition services at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said this is a time of year when some students can become fixated on body image. ...

Although a crash diet can be seen as simply a quick fix, these types of eating habits can lead to more serious issues. The lack of nutrients alone deprives the body in the same ways starvation would.

Labels: crash diet, college_students

Posted By: Aspen/CRC