Here’s why going on a diet can be very harmful

In simple terms, a diet is any eating plan where you try to control what you eat to lose weight. While the idea of a quick fix might sound appealing, many diets can actually hurt your body and mind over time.

Most diets are all about restricting what you can eat. They might tell you to avoid certain foods, cut out entire food groups, or drastically reduce your calorie intake. When you do this, your body doesn't get the necessary nutrients it needs to stay healthy.

This can lead to feelings of tiredness, headaches, and even dizziness. Over time, extreme dieting can weaken your immune system, making it harder for your body to fight off illnesses.

1. Diets can slow down your metabolism

Dieting can make it even harder to lose weight and easier to gain it back [iStock] Pulse Nigeria

When you drastically reduce your calorie intake or cut out entire food groups, your body goes into a survival mode. It starts to think it's not getting enough food and begins to slow down its metabolism to conserve energy. This means your body will burn calories more slowly. Over time, this can make it even harder to lose weight and easier to gain it back once you stop dieting.

2. Dieting leads to nutrient deficiencies

Many diets encourage cutting out certain foods, like carbohydrates or fats, which can lead to missing out on essential nutrients that your body needs. For example, carbs are a primary source of energy, and fats are necessary for brain health and hormone regulation. When your diet lacks these important nutrients, you might feel tired, weak, and even experience hair loss or skin problems.

ALSO READ: Experts reveal top 5 mistakes people make when exercising and dieting

3. Diets can harm your mental health

Constantly worrying about what to eat, counting calories, and avoiding certain foods can create a lot of stress and anxiety. It can also lead to an unhealthy relationship with food. You might start feeling guilty or ashamed after eating something "forbidden" on your diet plan. This negative mindset can lead to eating disorders, like binge eating, where a person might eat a large amount of food in a short period and then feel bad about it.

4. The yo-yo effect: losing and gaining weight repeatedly

Many diets lead to what's known as the "yo-yo effect." This happens when you lose weight quickly on a diet, but then gain it all back once you return to your normal eating habits. This cycle of losing and gaining weight over and over can be very harmful to your body. It can increase your risk of developing heart problems, diabetes, and other health issues.

The cycle of losing and gaining weight over and over can be harmful to your body [iStock] Pulse Nigeria

Moreover, it can also make you feel discouraged and frustrated, affecting your self-esteem.

5. Diets don’t teach sustainable healthy eating habits

One of the biggest issues with dieting is that it focuses on short-term results rather than long-term health. Many diets are not sustainable, meaning that they’re hard to stick to for a long time. Once the diet ends, people often go back to their old eating habits, which can lead to weight gain. Instead of learning how to eat balanced meals that you can maintain for a lifetime, diets often promote a temporary fix that doesn’t work in the long run.

Focus on health, not dieting

Instead of following strict diets, it’s better to focus on making healthier lifestyle choices. Eating a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods, staying active, drinking plenty of water, and getting enough sleep are all simple but effective ways to maintain good health.

ALSO READ: 11 science-backed ways to lose weight without going on a diet

This content was created with the help of an AI model and verified by the writer.