The purpose of attempt ing a diet challenge is to push people to do something they didn't think they were capable of doing.When a person completes a challenge, it gives himher a sense of accomplishment and a boost in confidence, depending on how successful it was.The problem, however, is that most diet challenges do more harm than good to the person attempting it. “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is,“ says general practitioner Dr Gita Mahadevan, as she dissects some extreme diet fads.
SLEEPING BEAUTY DIET
Inspired by the popular novel, Valley of the Dolls, this dangerous diet regime involves druginduced unconsciousness in the hope of skipping meals. The challenge lasts as long as the person remains unconscious. “This challenge can lead to slower metabolism and dehydration, along with other side effects of starvation.Besides all these risks, taking unregulated drugs and abusing prescribed drugs can be fatal,“ she says.
A4 WAIST CHALLENGE
Paper can be an extremely resourceful product, but who would have thought it can be used as a measuring tool for your figure? An A4 sheet of of paper that is eight inches wide is used as reference to determine how wide one's waist should be. The trend went viral with more than 2,500 posts on Instagram dedicated to the A4 Waist Challenge. “This challenge not only promotes unrealistic body goals, but also condones unhealthy ways of eating and exercising. The A4 Waist Challenge turns a blind eye to natural body types and is applicable only to small-framed people,“ says Dr Mahadevan.
MASTER CLEANSE
The Master Cleanse or Lemonade Diet aims at reducing weight by simply consuming a concoc tion of water, lemon juice, chilli powder and maple syrup for 10 days. “It may seem effortless, but this diet has detrimental effects like body aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, burning bowel movements, lack of energy and dizziness, along with loss of mass and slower metabolism,“ explains the doctor.
THE ICE DIET
This new diet has people eating ice -lots of it. Eating a large amount of ice increases metabolism, as it forces the human body to burn more calories since it has to bring all of that frozen matter back to body temperature. Although it is a smart and convenient way to trick your mind into thinking that your body is consuming solids, you are likely to put on more weight when the diet is discontinued. “In addition to deficiency of nutrients -like the recommended daily allowance of fat, protein or essential vitamins and minerals such as calcium, potassium, vitamin D and vitamin B-12 -the diet may increase the risk of medical issues. Following the diet repeatedly or staying on it for long periods of time can fracture the enamel and dentin in teeth,“ warns the doctor.
WAIST TRAINING
Waist Training is the process of achieving a magnified hour-glass figure by wearing a metal caged corset for approximately eight hours daily for at least a week. “ A Waist Trainer pulls in the ribs and rearranges the internal organs to reduce the circumference of the waist. This practice results in semi permanent transformations along with fractured ribs, difficulty in breathing, crushed organs and compressed lungs,“ she says.
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