- Severe and intentional restriction of energy intake through food (calorie intake). For example, you can follow a well-known diet or simply count calories and set strict limits.
- Limit the range of meals and eat the same type:
- low-carbohydrate diets: protein diet, Atkins diet;
- lean foods;
- juicy diets.
- Irregular meals:
- hourly diet;
- diet 5: 2 (we eat normally five days a week and two days a week - we significantly limit ourselves with food);
- skipping meals;
- "Fasting days, " that is. refrain from eating on certain days.
Who is on the diet?
Diets are common and popular. It is believed that about half of women of normal weight try to keep a diet. One study found that about 70% of 15-year-old girls were on a diet and 8% were on an extremely strict diet. Another study found that about 70% of women and 45% of dieters are not overweight and do not need to follow any diet.
Before the diet comes dissatisfaction and the desire to lose weight.
A study in the UK showed that two-thirds of girls aged 14-15 and half of girls aged 12-13 want to lose a few pounds. Due to this stress, about a quarter of young girls skip at least one meal a day.
Dietary risks
Diet increases the risk of eating disorders. Researchers have found that teenage girls are five times more likely to suffer from malnutrition if they follow a moderate diet, and 18 times more likely to be on a strict diet.
Often, strict diets cause excess weight. 95% of those who follow a diet to lose weight gain more in the next two years than they lose as a result of the diet. This is because people are constantly hungry during the diet, which greatly limits the number of calories and the range of foods. People who diet for a short period of time may ignore hunger, but after long diets, there is an increase in appetite and overeating. This, in turn, leads to feelings of guilt and failure, which can increase dissatisfaction with yourself and your body. Some people go through a similar diet throughout their lives - that is, the diet takes up a certain amount of time and energy each day.
In addition, diets have been found to slow down metabolism - slowing down the rate of calorie burning.
Normal metabolic rate is restored shortly after a person returns to a healthy and adequate diet.
A strict diet affects both mental and physical health. Bad breath, fatigue, overeating, headaches and cramps, constipation, sleep disorders, and possibly bone loss may appear.
Diets can alter the body's natural reactions to food, needs and appetite. A person can stop feeling hungry and full, stop separating their emotional needs from hunger.
Why do we keep a diet?
Many people of normal weight consider themselves overweight and want to lose weight by dieting. In addition, many overweight people want to lose these extra pounds, and believe that diet will help them in this work.
It is known that about ⅓ of the world's population is overweight, but about twice as many people want to lose weight.
They keep a diet out of the desire to lose weight. There are many reasons for the search for thinness in the world, one of which is the fear of gaining weight equally. It turned out that such a fear can no longer be seen in primary school students. For some reason, in our society, completeness is perceived as something to be ashamed of and condemned.
The desire to go on a diet through advertising is supported by companies that focus on everything related to diet (diets, books, food and other goods). Because we are in a very lucrative industry, the diet industry is unnaturally optimistic about diets. In fact, it has been found that half of people on a diet lose weight as a result - some of them can maintain the weight lost as a result of the diet for five years.
The success of a strict diet depends on many physical and mental factors and is very ineffective for weight loss in obesity.