Lose Weight Safely

A growing obsession these days, people who are constantly inundated by images from mass media tend to equate looking good with feeling good. This obsession can quickly become dangerous; causing one to become addicted to weight loss. Although losing body fat is certainly a good way to get your body in shape, you need to do it in a safe manner.
One of the most drastic methods of rapid weight loss is purging, actually forcing yourself to vomit any food recently ingested. The main danger associated with this is dehydration; by purging your body excessively, you can rid it of water much faster, causing great strain on your liver and kidneys. Excessive purging can also prevent your body from absorbing essential nutrients, leaving you malnourished.

Another dangerous weight loss method is dieting. This, of course, depends on the diet that you use. The most common diets will often take out carbohydrates from your regular meals and replace them with high protein foods. This is in the hope that you will start getting more energy from other dietary sources, such as fats and proteins. However, this is highly dangerous, as excessive proteins can damage your kidneys and liver, and can even make you predisposed to gout. This is a disease where uric acid crystals accumulate in your joints and cause pain. This is only one disease that can occur with this kind of diet, and with many more kinds of diets, you can probably expect even more varied dangers.
Another way that you can place yourself in danger is through using medications. This can include steroids, which will force your body to use up excess energy, and then convert your mass into muscle mass. Steroids can be dangerous as they tax on your liver, kidneys, and heart. They can increase your blood pressure and make you more prone to heart disease. Another kind of medication is herbal medicine that promises to make you lose weight. These medications may have undocumented side effects that can spell danger for your body, despite the fact that you are indeed losing weight. Most medications are not approved by government agencies, so always consult with your doctor about taking them before you do anything drastic.