Why don't we become happier after losing weight? Psychiatrist advice

A thinner cow is not yet a slender doe. So says popular wisdom, the essence of which boils down to a call not to pursue ideal forms. But how great is the desire to achieve proportions of 90x60x90! Therefore, women of all ages, in pursuit of slimness, begin to lose health along with extra pounds.

The latter is never superfluous, right? One awkward step or wrong decision in choosing a diet, and you immediately face digestive upset or your hormones imperceptibly “sway.” In this article we will talk about the main thing - the consequences of improper weight loss, which either no one thinks about or simply has no idea about.

Brain and thinking activity

The first target on the road to losing weight is the quality of our brain and the ability to think clearly. To a greater extent, this applies to those who are radically inclined: to lose weight quickly and strongly, making a strict diet of 600 kcal per day, intermittent or total fasting a weapon. In such conditions, the body suddenly falls into deep stress, because at one moment it is deprived of its usual food and snacks with cookies. The lack of energy, nutrients and vitamins that we get through food slows down the thinking process, plunging the brain into a state of “hibernation”.

What else is left if you have to survive in economy mode? Meanwhile, the main source of nutrition is a trio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Each of them is important, including the hated fats, which are the builders of nerve fibers and brain cells. Difficulty concentrating is the first sign of their lack in the diet. A lack of carbohydrates shows similar symptoms, as well as headaches and fatigue. For example, with a complete refusal of carbohydrates, the body begins to produce energy from fats through their synthesis.

In the absence or deficiency of these nutrients, the brain tries not to waste energy, gradually and in small doses “looking” into the reservoirs. There are no resources to produce new fuel. The lack of proteins (the building material of all cells with dozens of important functions) seems to hint to the body against the background of general hunger that the decision to suspend the activity of the mind is the right one. We need to take care. By the way, the brain spends about 20% of all energy on mental activity, so it suffers first. If you've tried fasting without a doctor's help, you may remember unpleasant symptoms like dizziness, drowsiness, and an inability to concentrate on everyday tasks.

The wrong method of losing weight will lead to a deficiency of polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants, which are responsible for mental activity, health and youth of cells. An imbalance of nutrients is an excellent opportunity to undermine the normal functioning of the brain and other internal organs.

Surely you know about the research and even the Nobel Prize that a Japanese scientist received for discovering the positive effects of short-term fasting on the body. Yoshinori Ohsumi studied the mechanism of autophagy, that is, the natural property of cells to “clean up” or eat unnecessary components, renewing the body. This whole process is stimulated by a lack of nutrients. True, when talking about the benefits of short-term fasting, many forget about other provoking factors. Thus, autophagy can be enhanced by disturbances in the cell structure itself (damaged mitochondria, for example). In this case, cellular “breakdowns” occur for various reasons: lack of oxygen in tissues or low ability to accumulate calcium. The most harmless result is impaired cell metabolism, and the most terrible result is their death. The mechanism of action of autophagy requires further study, so mindlessly rushing into the arms of hunger is not always useful. Osumi is a scientist who has devoted more than one year of his life to the study of autophagy. Admit it, do you know more about this process than from a 10-minute video on a YouTube channel? Only the lazy don’t shout about the benefits of fasting, but any “conversation” with the body requires a common sense approach.

Have you decided to go hungry? Perfect! After all, this can really have a positive effect, improve your health and make you slim. Under one condition - you must know everything about the safety margin of your own body. Try to practice fasting under the supervision of a competent nutritionist so that the harm of losing weight will bypass you. After all, only a healthy brain will protect you from senile dementia - the “mildest” consequence.

Mental health improves

Most obese patients will agree that bad moods and gloomy thoughts are their “inseparable friends.” Of course, under the load of dozens of extra pounds, a person experiences not only physical, but also emotional suffering. The reason for complexes and far from pleasant feelings - from resentment to despair and self-loathing - lies not only in the consciousness of one’s unattractiveness and inferiority. Scientists have proven that fat deposits negatively affect the brain, changing its activity, and this affects the way of thinking. Thus, in the course of 15 large-scale experiments, a close “union” of obesity and depression was revealed, and this connection works in both directions.

• Obese people are nearly 60% more likely to be depressed than people of normal weight.
• Those who are prone to depression have a 40% greater risk of becoming obese than those who are not depressed.
• Long-term depression increases this figure to 80%!

Such a close relationship between depression and obesity is not surprising, since one of the most “popular” ways to improve your mood at least a little is by eating high-calorie treats. But the price to pay for “food therapy” is a whole range of physical diseases, superimposed on a depressed state of mind, decreased mobility, energy and performance. These circumstances are “guaranteed” to reduce the quality of life in general. Psychotherapy and a properly selected course of antidepressants will help you break the vicious circle of depression and overeating and once again feel a surge of energy and joy in life. But indispensable “supplements” to losing weight with health benefits should be proper nutrition and physical activity.

Psyche and society: what mistakes does someone who has lost weight make?

Let us illustrate with a clear example where you can recognize yourself or a friend who has lost a lot of weight and suddenly began to avoid friendly gatherings. Became slim, beautiful and... arrogant? Not at all. When a person struggles with excess weight for a long time, and even worse, if this struggle smoothly flows into fanaticism, he is overcome by fear.

After all, who isn’t afraid of getting fat again after several months of dieting? The harm of losing weight for a woman in such a situation may not be obvious, but let's look deeper. Festive feasts, corporate parties or meetings with friends in a cafe are perceived by those who have lost weight as a provocation.

A person is controlled by fear, lack of self-confidence or low motivation. He doesn’t know why he lost weight (automatically, to fit the mold), so he takes any opportunity to spend time surrounded by people and food as a potential “gift” in the form of excess fat.

The very process of communication turns into an incitement to eat a cake “for company,” succumb to persuasion to try a new meat pie, or drink a cup of your favorite latte with a good dozen calories. It's better to sit in a hole. Why traumatize the psyche with such a tough test?

Relative isolation, anger, or open aggression in the form of verbal attacks (get fat in your own cafe, weaklings!) are typical changes in the character of a person who has lost weight. This is his shell, protection from any situation that involves communication between people over food.

Andrey Bobrovsky, Ph.D. scientific director of a network of weight loss clinics

Andrey Bobrovsky, Ph.D. scientific director of the network of weight loss clinics Dr. Bormental: “Complications during weight loss can be divided into dangerous, that is, posing a threat to human health and life, and minor, the correction of which is carried out quite quickly and simply. Thus, a failure in the endocrine system requires serious measures, and an incorrect psychological attitude requires adjustments.”

A person who is not psychologically prepared for losing weight often finds himself in a similar trap. In fact, he is right - the social circle (or cell, system of society) will always try to return it to its previous form, to the weight in which it is customary to see a particular person. This is the law of society: if a system accepts changes in another, sooner or later it will have to change itself. Change is always difficult, so it’s easier to return everything to its place. However, the task of someone who has lost weight under these conditions is not to doom themselves to loneliness, and then depression and breakdown, but to find the strength to adapt to the rules of the game.

When losing weight, you shouldn't be afraid to change your eating habits. By staying at home, you show weakness to society, provoking them to feed you chocolates. Take an unbending position to remain slim not only alone, but in the company of loved ones and friends.

Eat those foods and dishes that you consider beneficial for your figure. Your inner attitude will help you not to give in to temptations. Ask yourself why you need a slim and healthy body? The answer to it will become a shell against excess weight. It can be difficult to prepare your psyche and acquire motivation alone (you probably know one or two stories of such failures).

The harm of losing weight, which lies in social and psychological deviations, can always be corrected. The best option is to initially get a good psychotherapist who will guide you during the period of losing weight and maintaining weight. After all, a friend’s job is to treat you to an apple pie, and a mentor’s job is to teach you how to enjoy it without damaging your figure. Keep this in mind.

Social status increases

Socially, obesity is practically a stigma of being an outcast from society. Slim people, as a rule, treat overweight people with censure, ridicule and disdain. It is difficult for them to find a partner to create a relationship, family life is bursting at the seams, curvy girlfriends turn up their noses, and employers, on the contrary, turn him up. To protect themselves from total “social condemnation” and failure in terms of competition in all spheres of social life, overweight people often choose loneliness. They withdraw into themselves, are embarrassed to communicate and make acquaintances, and are sometimes ashamed to go out. And even if an obese person lives in a family, then, as a rule, an atmosphere of nervousness reigns in it, and the relationship is far from ideal. But here are just some of the significant changes in connection with the return of beauty and health with weight loss:

• increasing self-esteem and self-confidence;
• expanding your social circle;
• arrangement of personal life;
• strengthening relationships in the family, with friends, in the team;
• career success;
• creative development and self-realization;
• new life interests;
• personal growth.

People who have lost weight begin to feel completely different and act in new ways. Numerous studies by psychotherapists from different countries prove that by losing weight for health benefits , a person is transformed not only externally, but also internally: he becomes much freer, more energetic and happier, and his life is much more interesting, successful and richer in every sense.

Andrey Knyazkov, nutritionist, chief physician of the weight loss sanatorium “Prison for Fat” tyurmazhira.ru:

“From my experience, I would like to note that people who have lost weight are very happy with such positive changes! Losing weight for health benefits is like being born again.”

What kidney diseases are caused by weight loss?

Well-known statements about how internal filtration organs are cleansed during a strict diet, detox program, or during long-term fasting have been proven in practice. However, this does not prevent them from remaining one-sided, hiding possible harm to the body if the process of cleansing and losing weight takes place without medical supervision.

Thousands of women jump on a new diet or drink “empty” smoothies made from vegetables and fat-burning supplements for weeks, without even thinking about the stress they are putting on their own kidneys. Simply because the consequences of such experiments do not appear immediately, but after several months or years, causing surprise: why do I have kidney problems?

Rapid or improper weight loss is one of the factors that provokes serious impairment of kidney function. For example, their drooping due to sudden weight loss. Nature has prudently created 3 protective capsules for these organs, one of which is fatty. Inside such a fortress, our “filter” works safely and uninterruptedly. When you start losing weight, enjoying the loss of 10 extra pounds per month, the layer of fat around the kidneys thins out at a breakneck speed. It is the fat capsule that is responsible for the balance of the kidneys, so a slight change in weight affects it in the most direct way.

As soon as the capsule decreases due to weight loss, the kidney drops to the “floor” below, and behind it the nerve and vascular bundles are pulled up. Next, the ureter bends (sags or even twists), disrupting the drainage of urine. By the way, against this background, a kidney infection (pyelonephritis) may develop, since stagnant fluid in the urinary canal creates an excellent bacterial environment. Nephroptosis (or prolapse) is difficult to recognize on your own, because the symptoms “lead” to the side: lower back pain.

Just as we set out to lose weight without a doctor, without him we go to the pharmacy for ointment for osteochondrosis, and treat our back until the kidney fails completely. The harm of losing weight to the kidneys has not been exhausted - a strict diet with sudden weight loss provokes other disturbances in the functioning of the “filter”. For example, kidney stones. Severe dietary restrictions triple the likelihood of stone formation, which ultimately completely disrupts kidney function.

An unbalanced diet or fasting can change the course of metabolic processes in the urine, which will contribute to the formation of stones (with such a pathology, the protective function of preventing stone formation by promptly eliminating crystals of calcium salts is erased). Have you chosen a strict diet? Don’t be too lazy to go to a nutritionist and get tested to neutralize the harm of losing weight to the body. Kidney health will be ensured by a balanced diet that includes seafood, a lot of fresh, varied vegetables and fruits.

How do the organs of the digestive system suffer when losing weight?

A particularly dangerous area for fans of a slim body, as “mines” await on both sides. There are 2 types of risk: chemical and biological. The first is the harm of diet pills (both dietary supplements and medications if you are losing weight during a cold/illness). The second is a lack of nutrients, vitamins, and an imbalance in the diet.

By driving yourself into strict dietary limits without prior examination, you endanger a string of digestive organs:

• stomach;
• pancreas;
• intestines;
• gallbladder;
• liver.

Each of them requires a daily supply of nutrients to maintain the health of the body and ensure the performance of all functions. Especially in this story, the gastrointestinal tract suffers, taking the first blow from hunger/relative hunger.

Stomach juice, which helps absorb nutrients from food, is still produced. Its daily intake is 2 liters for an adult. When a minimum of food enters the stomach or does not enter at all, this juice begins to actively corrode the walls of the organ. Gastritis or an ulcer is just around the corner.

Andrey Bobrovsky, Ph.D. scientific director of a network of weight loss clinics

“Disturbances in the functioning of the digestive tract during rapid weight loss sometimes manifest themselves as mild discomfort in the stomach, which can result in a chronic form of gastritis”

The intestines, as the stomach’s closest companion, also receive a portion of the “negativity.” Most often, he experiences a deficiency of dietary fiber, due to which peristalsis suffers. The walls of the organ contract poorly under such conditions - this leads to constipation.

The harm of sudden weight loss provokes:

• heartburn;
• bloating;
• nausea;
• inflammatory processes;
• intestinal diseases;
• formation of gallstones.

Reasonable control over the diet, its balance, testing and examination before starting a diet is your personal protection from the harm of losing weight (for women and men equally).

Health is protected from a young age

Since sitting at the computer while eating food teeming with sugar and trans fats has become a favorite pastime for most people, including the most tender years, excess weight does not spare the younger generation. According to statistics, today every fourth child experiences many of the above physiological, and as they grow older, psychological “bonuses” of obesity. Its avalanche-like growth among the young population forced scientists to pay especially close attention to this problem. Long-term observations of control groups of children have recently been completed: their weight and health status were monitored by researchers from the age of 5-6 years until the peak of maturity. It turned out that people who learned the “delights” of obesity in childhood and adolescence were twice as likely to become “prey” of hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in adulthood compared to those who initially lived in a slim body. Along the way, a number of very instructive conclusions for parents were made:

• those who were overweight from childhood and carried their excess weight all their lives without losing it had the greatest risks of health problems;
• someone who weighed normal as a child and gained weight as an adult had just as high a chance of developing diseases as someone who was obese from childhood and then throughout life;
• those who were slim from childhood and remained so throughout their lives had the lowest health risks in all respects;
• someone who was obese as a child and then normalized their body weight had the same minimal risks as someone who was thin to begin with.

This means that the harmful effects of fat mass can be reduced to zero if parents accept their children's obesity and help them lose weight healthily before or as they grow up.

5. Disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system during weight loss

The heart and blood vessels are often talked about in the context of excess body weight, but losing weight also poses a potential threat to them. A sharp weight loss results in stress, since the organs are accustomed to functioning in certain conditions, but do not have time to rebuild.

A striking example is the volume of blood, which decreases several times due to a decrease in the number of tissues that need to be supplied with oxygen and nutrients. At the same time, the vessels do not have time to narrow to optimal sizes in such a short time and retain their elongated shape. As a result, we get ups and downs in blood pressure, irregular heartbeat rhythms and other typical problems. It becomes harder for the heart muscle to bear the load, and if you add exercise to a strict diet, instead of a slim body, you may end up with a serious malfunction in the functioning of the main human “engine”.

In addition to this, a deficiency of fats and protein foods puts stress on the cardiovascular system. Proteins are the main builders of the heart muscle, and the membrane of every cell in the body consists of fats. At the same time, the latter help to absorb proteins - a very close relationship between all elements, where each performs a specific function.

By excluding proteins and fats from your diet, you grossly neglect the health of your heart and blood vessels. Think about it. Perhaps in your case, the harm of losing weight may turn out to be more real than it seems. Women 45+ fall into a separate risk zone, as the body prepares for age-related changes (menopause, for example). A strict diet or fasting, at best, can result in quickly fading skin and “flabby” muscles. At worst - prolapse of the uterus, disruption of metabolic and cardiac functions. Try to lose weight gradually, preferably under the guidance of a nutritionist.

With the right approach to slimming, the potential harm from losing weight will recede. Firstly, you will always be aware of what is happening inside the body, and secondly, slowly getting rid of excess fat makes it possible to firmly consolidate the achieved result and maintain it for a long time. Scientific studies have shown that rapid weight loss followed by weight loss (including relatively slow weight loss) inevitably leaves a mark on your health. If you lost weight and then gained weight again, your risk of heart disease did not decrease. You wasted your time and effort. But the situation could change if you lost weight gradually, so as not to soon gain back what was “lost.”

Basic principles

Only consistent and thoughtful weight loss will allow you to get rid of extra pounds. Standard strict diets designed for 72 hours do not solve the problem - they remove accumulated fluid from the body and reduce the elasticity of muscle tissue.

A monthly loss of 4 kg is considered harmless. The body does not consider it significant, manages to get used to it and does not try to activate energy conservation mechanisms. A small change in diet is easier to tolerate for patients from a psychological point of view; the person continues to receive all the vitamins and minerals necessary for the normal functioning of internal organs.

The main goal of losing weight is to obtain and maintain results. Losing body weight requires adding exercise to your schedule. The simplest set of exercises in the initial period should gradually become more complex. Treatments include:

• walking;
• jumping rope;
• exercises with hoop, dumbbells;
• morning exercises;
• bicycle rides;
• swimming in the pool and open water;
• training on cardio equipment.

Increasing motor and physical activity will reduce the risk of “extra” skin and stretch marks. Due to regular exercise, the dermis will be retracted following the decreasing volumes. Active games in nature and running can completely replace training on any type of exercise equipment.

How does immune defense decrease when losing weight?

An unbalanced diet is a direct path to weakened immunity. When there is a lack of protein in the diet, immune cells experience a deficiency and, as a result, slow down the production of antibodies. In this simple way, a person losing weight does himself a disservice by opening the entrance gates for viruses and germs.

Proteins are the main material for the construction of cells. For the normal operation of our entire system, it must be supplied in sufficient quantities. As soon as protein food is supplied in smaller quantities, cellular structures lose the ability to renew themselves. Against the general background of decreased immunity, we get dry, dull skin.

Let’s not forget about stress, which can destroy even a once-strong immune system. When switching to a strict diet, partial or complete fasting, the body plunges into a stressful state. Just yesterday he ate his favorite buns with garlic, drank a glass of rich baked milk at night, and today there was no poppy dew in his stomach. In addition to biological aspects, psychological ones come to the fore. They intensify the stressful experience, because the head requires the usual food along with the stomach. Almost endlessly, pictures of harmful but tasty dishes flash in it, and in especially severe cases you can even feel the aroma of this alluring food. Being in a stressful occupation, the immune system becomes even weaker. Viruses and pathogens that have been precipitated by antibodies gain strength and go on the hunt. By the way, a strict diet combined with high-intensity training is another reason to weaken the immune defense. This increases stress.

In a nutshell, a weakened immune system can be represented as follows: rapid weight loss = rapid decline in immunity. You get the harm of losing weight to the body with a full guarantee. Adherents of mono-diets that last more than 3 days also fall into the risk zone (the body can tolerate exactly this period of fasting/meager diet without serious consequences if it is completely healthy). Since the essence of mono-nutrition comes down to eating the same type of food for 1-2 weeks (for example, only kefir, only buckwheat, etc.), the lack of vitamins and nutrients is obvious.

By the end of the “marathon”, along with the extra pounds, you will lose your health reserves, get a “hole” in your immunity, weakness, and depletion of all reserves. As soon as the diet ends, the reverse process will start: the body will try to put aside every piece of food instead of processing it in a timely manner into energy. What if there is hunger again? Therefore, excess weight lost on a strict diet will soon return. Much faster than you will restore your immunity. Take a critical look at the dangers of rapid weight loss for the body - is such a gamble worth the candle?

Hormonal imbalances as a result of poor diet

It is believed that fasting shakes up hormones, creating a therapeutic effect. When the food supply stops, the body begins to use stored fats to produce fuel. Glucose synthesis occurs. The event is not easy, so the production of corticosteroids (special hormones of the adrenal cortex) increases. Their main property is anti-inflammatory. Once the concentration of these hormones in the blood increases, the body gains the ability to effectively fight autoimmune diseases. Perhaps you are familiar with the names of drugs such as “Hydrocortisone” or “Prednisolone”? So, the active substance in them is the same adrenal hormones that relieve inflammation and promote recovery. It is not without reason that the method of hormonal therapy is used to improve the health of the body, but there are some “buts”.

Andrey Bobrovsky, Ph.D. scientific director of a network of weight loss clinics

“Rapid weight loss is fraught with serious hormonal imbalance, which will take several months to restore with the help of corrective medications”

Fasting at random, without doctors and preliminary tests, has nothing in common with hormonal therapy. If you restrict your body in nutrients, thyroid hormones begin to “sway.” At best, the harm of losing weight will result in excess weight; at worst, you will provoke the development of atherosclerosis.

Metabolic syndrome improves

The incidence of metabolic syndrome today has become epidemic. The syndrome includes a whole “bouquet” of closely interrelated pathologies: obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension and chronic inflammatory conditions. The leading part in this “deadly chorus” belongs to obesity. Most often, the victims of the syndrome are those with “beer bellies” filled with the most dangerous, visceral fat. Here's a snapshot of just some of the metabolic torment.

• Fat deposits in the abdomen and waist compress internal organs and blood vessels, causing high blood pressure and a lack of blood supply to the heart muscle.
• Due to the deposition of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels, atherosclerosis develops, aggravating the plight of the cardiovascular system: coronary artery disease develops.
• The cells of the body stop accepting insulin, allowing the owner to feel all the “delights” of diabetes, which was mentioned just above.
• The concentration of uric acid in the blood increases, crystals of which settle in the joints, causing inflammation, pain and swelling: this is where gout comes into its own.
• In addition to everything, patients suffer from shortness of breath, headaches, chest pain, and loss of strength.

Fatal consequences can be impotence, infertility, heart attack, stroke, fatty hepatosis, sleep apnea, oncology, etc. Since the harmful syndrome is largely due to an unhealthy lifestyle, medications are powerless to radically change the situation. There is only one saving solution here: for the sake of health benefits, you need to lose weight !

Andrey Bobrovsky, Candidate of Medical Sciences, scientific director of the network of weight loss clinics “Doctor Bormental” www.bormentaldoctor.ru:

“From the point of view of modern dietetics, the health benefits of losing weight are invaluable: many diseases and problems that could be fatal recede.”

How does rapid weight loss affect women's health?

Hormones that control reproductive and lactation functions play a significant role in a woman’s body. Hormonal balance preserves women's youth, ensures good skin condition, preventing the formation of premature wrinkles.

The harm of rapid weight loss affects both appearance and health:

• the skin loses elasticity and softness;
• there is a disruption in the menstrual cycle;
• the risk of infertility increases.

A week-long fast, not supported by a specialist, can subsequently provoke hormonal problems. You get a mirror: you fought against fat, but you got even more of it. In such a situation, hormones seem to grab their “paws” into the fat layer, not allowing the body to lose weight. Complete or partial refusal to eat is primarily manifested by menstrual irregularities. It becomes irregular or disappears altogether, which is directly related to the thinning of fatty tissue. The fact is that it is the first participant in the synthesis of progesterone and estrogen, the level of which decreases along with the amount of fatty tissue. As soon as it drops to a critical level, an alarm bell rings - menstruation is delayed, often for a long time. In the future, this risks leading to problems with conception.

The harm of losing weight for a woman can be avoided. If you put your own negligence aside, this will be very easy to do. The key condition is to approach food refusal rationally. Find a good nutritionist who will develop a diet for safe weight loss. When the body gets used to a certain routine (for example, 3 main meals and a couple of light snacks), it processes fats in a timely manner without storing reserves on the sides, stomach or knees. In other words, he feels harmony - he is fed on time, he is not starved, he can live in peace.

Women's health blossoms

Well-fed representatives of the fair sex are intensely worried about the fact that their figures are far from beautiful. Ah, if only troubles were limited to visual defects! Overweight ladies become unsexy not only externally, but also in the deeper sense of the word, since terrible damage is done to the female reproductive system. After all, fat mass is not just a “storehouse” of the body’s energy reserves, but an independently functioning endocrine organ, which is also responsible for the production of sex hormones. Excessive growth of fat causes an imbalance of androgens and estrogens, threatening catastrophic consequences for everything connected with a woman’s intimate life.

• There are problems with the skin and hair growth on the face and body according to the “male” type;
• libido decreases significantly, frigidity may develop;
• significant fat deposits in the lower body make sexual intercourse difficult;
• the menstrual cycle is disrupted;
• the ability to fertilize decreases down to the point of infertility;
• if pregnancy does occur, it is accompanied by complications - toxicosis, gestosis, bleeding, etc.;
• the risk of fetal anomalies, miscarriage and post-term pregnancy increases significantly;
• childbirth is pathological, often having to resort to caesarean section;
• we have already talked about the increased risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancer.

The greater the degree of obesity, the higher the likelihood and the wider the range of women’s problems listed. Fortunately, when losing weight for health benefits, hormonal balance is quickly restored, and a woman has every chance of becoming a happy mother - along with a delightful feeling of being beautiful, desirable and sexually attractive.

Eating Disorders – At what point does dieting become fatal?

Let's start with the fact that serious violations more often occur in weight loss fanatics, regardless of age. This could be an adult and reasonable woman who is unable to cope with stress, or maybe a young and somewhat stupid schoolgirl who got carried away in the pursuit of a slender body and could not stop in time. We are talking about three disorders, different in the specifics of their manifestation, but similar in the nature of their occurrence. The first of these is compulsive overeating. The “STOP” sign disappears in the head, and the person cannot refuse food. Moreover, all “available” products are used - from gourmet sweets to boiled pasta with ketchup. As a rule, such a disorder is a consequence of unprocessed conflicts within oneself. A person eats up past grievances that torment his soul, eats up small and large failures, stress, and depression. So he resolutely goes on a diet again, and again breaks down. The frustration intensifies, the ball begins to twist. One of the reasons is the wrong approach to losing weight. It is human nature to appear strong, to believe that he can cope with any task. Finally, another diet and the firm belief that this time I will definitely lose weight and be able to overcome my cravings for food.

In reality, it happens differently: without knowledge of the mechanisms of the psyche and subconscious, all attempts to lose weight are doomed to failure. As a result, the problem gets worse, and the extra pounds increase from time to time. Overeating became systematic - the ball began to spin. It will be difficult for both the doctor and you personally to unravel. There are two radical forms of the disorder - anorexia and bulimia. The latter goes hand in hand with compulsive overeating, the only difference is that with bulimia a person necessarily vomits immediately after eating. This creates the illusion of control over weight, calms you down, but at the same time drags you into the abyss.

Anorexia, on the contrary, leads to a complete refusal of food. The disease is dangerous because systematic hunger disrupts all internal processes, leading to only one result: the body stops absorbing food altogether. Treating anorexia is difficult, since changes have occurred at all levels of the body - physical, mental, subconscious. The topic of eating disorders is not fully understood, which complicates matters. One thing is certain: these harmful conditions can be successfully prevented if you notice the problem in a timely manner and go to specialized doctors (psychotherapist, nutritionist).

The causes of dietary deviations lie in three planes:

1. The first is physiological. Scientists point to hormonal imbalance, impaired metabolism and insufficient production of serotonin, which ultimately contribute to the development of the disorder.
2. The second reason is emotional. From depression and stress to serious mental disorders such as psychosis. Under the flag of emotions also lies a lack of parental love, violence at an early age and other shocks that deeply wound a person.
3. The third reason refers to the structure of the individual and society. Some people react extremely sharply to the opinions of other people, do not know how to accept objective criticism, and try to “be like everyone else” in order to avoid comments and receive only admiration. Hence the painful desire to chase beauty standards, even if body parameters deviate by 1 cm from the imposed norm.

What do all three eating disorders have in common? Of course, hunger. Psychological. One is hungry for maternal love, the other is hungry for the respect of colleagues, and the third is simply mired in depression and has lost all interests, in return for which food has come. It becomes a fatal pleasure that allows you to satisfy your hunger at the subconscious level. The man followed a diet for a week, and on the eighth day he attacked the cake. I received 10 minutes of pleasure, and after that I received 10 hours of self-flagellation (“a weak-willed rag,” “a fat nonentity,” and all that stuff).

The harm of losing weight with an unstable psyche may well lead to such an outcome. If you fail your diet or wait every week for a new Monday to start losing weight, but in fact you overeat and continue to gain weight, run to the doctor. The sooner you work through the problem with a psychotherapist, the sooner your diet will affect your figure.

Example from life

Scottish resident Liz Oakley went on a diet in October 2021. In a couple of months, she successfully got rid of 12 kg, which became a special source of pride for her. However, at the same time she developed problems such as nausea, pain in the abdomen and back, and her skin became yellow. When relatives sent the mother to see a doctor, it turned out that the woman had stage 2 pancreatic cancer. And this, as the doctors noted, was the real reason for such active weight loss, and not at all the refusal of pies. She was lucky that they made it on time - 12 days later the woman was operated on, removing the pancreas, duodenum, gall bladder, and ducts. This was followed by a course of chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy. The woman survived, but doctors are unable to guarantee the absence of a relapse, because... the tumor was located extremely poorly.

Article on the topic

Does it burn or melt? Where does fat go when losing weight? Another example in Russian practice: an elderly man began to lose weight, and noticeably. The relatives were thrown off their feet, trying to find out the reason, because he ate normally - they themselves controlled the process. It turned out that he had senile dementia.

There are cases when parents cannot get enough of the fact that their daughters are slender beauties compared to many of their peers who have become fat from fast food, and then they suffer because... it turns out that their girls suffer from anorexia - dozens of them across the country. The main thing here is to see these signs and hear the dangerous bells.

Hair loss and constant chilliness

Women especially feel the harm of losing weight in external manifestations, when tufts of hair follow the extra pounds. To understand the reason for these consequences, let's look at the structure of hair from the inside.

The hair bulb or follicle, that is, the base of the hair with all adjacent tissues (including glands, nerve endings, etc.) is a kind of production center. The cellular structures here actively divide, forming the structure of the hair. For this process to proceed normally, the body must be provided with a balanced diet. Traditional proteins, fats and carbohydrates in optimal proportions, vitamins and minerals help eliminate failure. A strict diet or fasting always means a deficiency of nutrients. The cells and tissues that form the hair follicle sound the alarm and go into “emergency mode.” Simply put, they stop the growth and formation of your hair. As a result, the hair structure suffers. They become thin, brittle and lose their healthy shine.

The catch is that the consequences are not immediately visible. Let's say you fasted for 2 weeks and felt great. Wait 3 months - exactly after this period the harm of rapid weight loss will become apparent. The acceptable norm is considered to be about a hundred hairs lost per day. The bulb affected by nutritional deficiency weakens, so hair loss increases by an average of 25%. People who are genetically predisposed to baldness (severe hair loss, partial or complete baldness in family members in any generation) are at particular risk. People whose family history has been diagnosed with autoimmune diseases, skin diseases, and endocrine system diseases should also be wary of rapid weight loss.

Related factors are also associated with hair loss after a diet:

• hormonal disbalance;
• problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
• impaired metabolism;
• disturbances in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels.

The beauty and strength of hair depends on the health of the body as a whole. This relationship applies to all internal organs and systems. A failure in one place is reflected in another. Therefore, an amateurish approach to choosing a diet is always a chance. Especially when it comes to rapid weight loss.

Remember: if you drive more quietly, you will go further! Slowly losing kilograms will protect the body from the destructive consequences and will not allow the skin and muscles to sag. But, more importantly, you will be able to maintain the weight throughout your life (or at least several years - for sure).

Andrey Knyazkov, nutritionist, chief physician of the weight loss sanatorium Fat Prison

Andrey Knyazkov, nutritionist, chief physician of the weight-loss sanatorium Fat Prison: “From my experience, I would like to note a frequent complication of losing weight in the form of wasted muscles and sagging skin, which were the result of a fundamentally incorrect approach to getting rid of excess weight.”

Chilliness will be added as a side effect. People begin to freeze more often, regardless of the season and the temperature outside; some feel a slight chill from the warm summer wind.

A calorie deficit forces the body to destroy fat reserves at an accelerated pace. In this mode, he simply does not have time to adapt to new conditions, so the heat regulation mechanism suffers - the body begins to feel cold. When the fat layer becomes thinner, the body “pulls” some of the energy from the muscle mass. In turn, it loses part of its volume, and this is fraught with a slowdown in metabolic functions. The result is chilliness again.

Why are diet pills harmful?

Diet pills usually have even worse consequences than crash diets. Nutritionist, Doctor of Medical Sciences Alexey Kovalkov says that real medications for excess weight can be divided into two groups.

Based on sibutramine

Appetite suppressant pills. Sibutramine is a psychotropic substance that has a lot of side effects.

The consequences of severe weight loss may be as follows:

• dry mouth;
• constipation;
• anorexia;
• headaches and heart pain;
• insomnia;
• tachycardia.

In 2013, a scandalous incident occurred in Kyiv: a large number of women began to turn to doctors with complaints of poor health, heart and kidney problems. They took Chinese weight loss drugs “Li Da” and “Golden Lotus”, which they ordered from an online store. It turned out that the tablets contained a high concentration of sibutramine. Kyiv police officers detained the scammers and seized the dietary supplement.

Based on orlistat

Orlistat tablets prevent fats from being absorbed in the body. But in reasonable quantities, these nutrients are vital. As a result, you get a whole bunch of negative consequences after losing weight: peeling skin, brittle hair, exacerbation of inflammatory processes.

Important! Taking drugs based on orlistat leads to diarrhea in 20% of cases, flatulence in 24%, and headaches in 30% of cases . In addition, it prevents the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins: A, E , D , K.

As for other drugs (for example, herbal dietary supplements), they simply do not work without dietary restrictions and physical activity. There are no miracles. The same applies to other “free” methods, in particular, weight loss conspiracies: the consequences of their use are zero.

Diuretics (diuretics) reduce weight only by dehydrating the body. Fat reserves remain intact. You can take diuretics only as prescribed by a doctor, for example, to get rid of edema.

Weight return - why does weight double after a diet?

Firstly, because the weight loss happened too quickly. We barely had time to rejoice that we had lost 8 kg of fat in a week, when the next day after lunch the first half a kilo hit the scales. By evening, the weight increased by another 200-300 grams, despite the standard portion of food at dinner, and after 2 weeks it outstripped the values ​​BEFORE the diet. What's happening? The body, starved, recovers from stress. His task is to stock up on as much provisions as possible in order to create a “safety cushion” for an emergency. The trouble is that you can’t explain to the internal systems, they say, we won’t starve anymore, stop stocking up. This is a smart machine that relies on facts and prefers to think ahead about safety. Therefore, relapse after rapid weight loss is a normal, logical situation for the body. But not for you, of course.

To eliminate such harm from losing weight, lose weight gradually. No one has yet caught two birds with one stone. Do you still think that you will succeed in this? It is almost impossible to lose weight sharply and maintain weight by calming your head and stomach. The exception is a professional approach to weight loss, even such extreme methods as short-term fasting. The difference from independent attempts is only one thing: alone you act blindly, together with a nutritionist you have a flashlight. Losing weight under the supervision of a doctor takes place on a flat road, where each obstacle and ways to bypass it to maintain health are clearly visible. Running along a bumpy path, where hormones scatter along the way or the gastrointestinal tract screams from impacts, inevitably causes harm.

The harm of losing weight to the body - how to protect yourself from the consequences?

A young and strong body is not a green light for uncontrolled self-experimentation. Remember, when on the eve of an important event we need to quickly “reduce” our waist by one and a half centimeters, we are ready to plunge into the deep end. “I’ll wait a week on water and cucumbers, nothing will happen!” Playing with luck only makes you angry. If you're lucky now, you'll be lucky next time. An illusion has firmly settled in my head - eat ice cream in the evenings, a week of hunger strike will quickly fix everything. Or it won't fix it. You never know when fortune will leave, taking a piece of your health for company.

You can safely lose weight only under the supervision of professionals. Check out our review of the best weight loss clinics and ratings of Russian nutritionists, many of whom offer online programs accessible to people living far away. Only you are responsible for your own health. Remember this and lose weight correctly!

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Test check yourself:

fact or fiction?

Eating more fruit can improve bone density.

Correct! Wrong!

Consuming foods with plenty of bioavailable calcium improves bone density. Fruits generally do not contain much calcium.

Excess protein accumulates in the muscles, causing them to increase.

Correct! Wrong!

Once the need for protein and energy has been met, excess amino acids are converted to acetyl-CoA, from which they are converted into fatty acids and stored in adipocytes. Therefore, excess protein will not be converted into muscle.