Home » Ana Diet: Reasons you should avoid it!

Searching for ways for getting slimmer and stumbling upon pro ana diets plan? Quite a hot topic these days, right? You might find hundreds of ways to carry out fad diets online. But today, we shall go through their hazards so you may know in advance what you will face in the long run!

What is Ana diet?

Pro Ana or pro-mia diets are usually fad diets. This means diets that promise quicker results in a shorter time span. Basically in an ana diet, fat is used to burn the fat.

They are magical but temporary and may cause extreme after-effects in the long run. Often times no scientific proof supports them.

There are various pro ana diet methods which include, the 5 bites diet, the ABC diet, the Lunabelle diet, the Rainbow diet, The baby food diet, The ana Atkins diet, The vegan model diet, and The Russian gymnast diet. Basically, all of these diet plans are restricted to much lower calories, certain food types, and a certain period of days. Indeed, they are extreme diet plans.

Ana diet in relation to ‘Body dissatisfaction leads to extreme weightloss’:

The media has a great deal of power to influence young women by showing them pictures of models who are unusually thin and appear to be the ideal. Body dissatisfaction and disordered eating can begin when the majority of adolescents inevitably fail to achieve the extremely thin image they desire. New research in the field of pediatrics and adolescence shows that children as young as five are already concerned about their bodies and want to lose weight. The dramatic rise in the number of Internet websites devoted to disordered eating. Hence they only contribute to this obsessive interest in body weight. There are various diets that feed the idea of quicker weight loss such as the keto diet. But they should be for motivation in the start, the actual weight loss journey should follow the nutritious diet plans.

Tragically, large numbers of the Sites are “supportive of ana” (pro-anorexia) and “favorable to mia” (pro-bulimia); These websites encourage at-risk youth to begin starving or purging in large quantities. Nurses are aware that any one of these scenarios could result in death or serious illness.

ana diet starving
starving because of ana diet

Ana diet bounces back!

Yes, you have heard it alright. Ana diets, as soon they promise results, are not consistent at all. Hence fad diets like an ana diet will be difficult to be persistent at eventually, as it is much more rigid and carry so many restrictions. Moreover, the immediate weight loss will bounce back, worse it will multiply once you will leave the diet. This is because the major weight loss occurs due to ‘water loss’ and your body will automatically try to ‘correct water’, hence weight gain.

According to recent research:

Those trying to lose weight are willing to try any extreme diets. Unfortunately, none of these seem to work in the long run. This is shown by the rapid rise and fall of such extreme diets in the society. One of the reasons why people give up these diets is the sheer boredom of following an artificial type of diet or their craving to get back to their normal diet habits.  (Joshi, S., & Mohan, V. (2018). Pros & cons of some popular extreme weight-loss diets. The Indian Journal of Medical Research, 148(5), 642-647. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1793_18)

Symptoms of malnutrition:

Rapid weight loss can also cause constipation, a lack of energy and nutrients, and tiredness, all of which can be caused by eating fewer calories. As they are low-carb diets, they can cause a decrease in appetite.

Ana diet (Atkins) and health issues:

Heart disease, colon cancer, bad breath, and sleep disorders are all linked to high-fat, high-protein diets like the  Ana Atkins diet, according to research. The Atkins diet raises serum cholesterol levels. Therefore, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease by more than 50% when followed for an extended period of time. A very low-carbohydrate short-term diet can cause constipation, bad breath, headaches, hair loss, and an increase in menstrual bleeding, among other side effects.

Higher consumption of protein, more than the recommended servings burden the kidneys due to excessive nitrogen load. Meanwhile, ana diets may also decrease calcium absorption which further leads to kidney stones, bone loss, and osteoporosis.

unhealthy kidney
unhealthy kidney due to ana diet

Low protein/low-fat diets and health issues:

Ana diet plans who follow the low protein/low-fat diet regimes may lead to hazardous health issues. Ana diets may increase the risk of consuming insufficient amounts of high-quality protein and minerals like calcium and zinc. Adolescent anemia and other dietary deficiencies, such as iron deficiency, can cause a decline in growth. Additionally, amenorrhea or irregular menstruation has been linked to establishing unbalanced dietary habits.

Psychological effects of Ana diet:

Studies on adults have indicated that constant dieting is linked to a variety of symptoms, including weariness, heightened emotional response, distractibility, and fixation with food. Chronic dieters also frequently overeat or undereat. They may have low self-esteem and struggle with depression and various eating disorders. It is well-recognized that these impacts have complicated repercussions on children and teens’ social and psychological development. This is especially true for children and teenagers.

No clinical trials support Ana diet:

Ana diet, which promises rapid weight loss, is typically dangerous and transient. Since there is no scientific data to support the safety of ana diets, weighing their benefits against their negatives is challenging but vital Additionally, the majority of these diets place an excessive emphasis on a single food category and are regarded as harmful and nutritionally unbalanced. Furthermore, No additional scientific proof accompanies these proposed statements.

Conclusion:

The majority of these ana diets restrict the variety of foods. Hence, they do not guarantee a balanced diet & strenuously lack several vitamins & minerals essential for good health. Despite their claims of quick weight loss, they have a number of disadvantages, including increased health risks, regain of weight, and poor sustainability. There are many different types of ana diets available today, but no medical evidence challenges to support their safety. They have been connected to a wide range of psychological diseases, including depression and eating disorders. Ana diet also possesses physiological effects like osteoporosis, renal dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease.

In order to follow any ana diet, you must consult a registered dietitian or a medical nutritionist to choose the right type of diet for you to boost your motivation, and help you in achieving your fitness goals.

 

 

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