In today's time when diets are available dime a dozen, and people are running after quick fixes and obsessing over before-after transformations, crash diets have become an easy temptation. Be it for a wedding, a vacation or even a social media scroll can push people into extreme routines, cutting out entire food groups, surviving on minimal calories and sometimes fasting for 18 hours daily. All this for 'rapid weight loss'. While there are weight loss injections as well today but there is still some uncertainty around it, especially the side effects. And often, the weighing scale does shows the quick result you are seeking. But what’s rarely discussed is the cost at which this weight loss comes.
Many people unknowingly swing between extremes. One week it’s zero carbs, the next it’s excessive protein. Some eliminate fats entirely, while others rely heavily on it. There are those who skip meals altogether, believing long hours of starvation will accelerate fat loss. While these approaches may show quick results, the body doesn’t function well under such stress. What looks like discipline is often deprivation and the body keeps score in ways that may not be immediately visible.
Speaking exclusively to Times Now, Dr. Anil Arora, chairperson, Institute of Gastroenterology & Pancreatico Biliary Sciences at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said rapid weight loss or crash dieting can do more harm than good. “Crash dieting and rapid weight loss are always detrimental to the body,” he explains. The impact isn’t limited to fatigue or weakness, there can be deeper metabolic disturbances that disrupt how the body processes nutrients and energy.
He shares that one of the lesser-known risks of losing weight too quickly is the increased likelihood of developing gallstones. When the body is forced into sudden fat breakdown, it alters bile composition, which can lead to stone formation. "For many, this risk goes unnoticed until it becomes a medical issue. The liver, too, can be affected, particularly when extreme dieting disrupts its normal functioning," he adds.
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Dr. Arora advises a far more measured approach. "A safe and sustainable weight loss range is about half a kilogram to one kilogram per week. Anything beyond that may be counterproductive, even if it feels like progress in the short term." Slow weight loss allows the body to adapt, preserves muscle mass and ensures that nutritional needs are still being met.
There’s another aspect of weight loss that often gets overlooked, that is when it happens without trying. While most people are focused on shedding kilos, unexplained weight loss can be a red flag. If your weight drops without changes in diet or activity, and especially if it’s accompanied by fatigue or lethargy, it shouldn’t be ignored. Unintentional weight loss is a common symptom of several underlying health conditions and needs proper medical evaluation.
Everyone needs to remember that not all weight loss is healthy weight loss. What you see on the scale is only part of the story. Beneath it, your body may be struggling to cope with sudden changes, nutrient gaps or metabolic stress. Sustainable health comes from balance, consistency and listening to your body rather than punishing it.
Kalpana Sharma is currently the Lifestyle and Education Editor at Times Now and Editor of Health and Me (Times Networks' health website). With a stron...View More
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