by Katarzyna Radzka

Created on: June 17, 2009   Last Updated: June 18, 2009

There's always two sides to every story, and the same goes for dieting. Dieting has its advantages as well as its dangers. It's never a one sided story and before choosing a diet or even considering going on one, you should think about both.

Advantages of Dieting

Weight loss

The point of going on a diet is to lose unwanted weight. Usually, with the right diet, weight loss can be achieved. The amount of weight you lose will depend on the type of diet you go on, how much you're overweight and how long you are dieting for.

Increase in fruit and vegetables for the duration

Many diets focus on consuming large amounts of vegetables and some fruit. Both fruit and vegetables provide our bodies with important vitamins and nutrients that sometimes we forget to include. When you're on a diet you are more likely to be making these healthier options and eating vegetables more throughout the day than usual. This is a great plus, however, if it becomes a habit for life.

Reduced strain on the body due to lower calorie intake

Eating too many calories strains our bodies and our minds, eating too little calories has a similar effect. If you choose the right type of diet that doesn't restrict too many calories, and maintain it for a long period of time, you are doing your body and your heart a huge favor.

Dangers of Dieting

A short term fix

Going on a diet usually means a short term fix in which during this time you are depriving yourself of the food you love and setting yourself up for a binge at the end of it. Most diets are not created in a friendly way that can be maintained for life. They are fine if you want to drop a dress size before an important event, but not if you want to lose weight for life.

Cuts out food groups

Our bodies are special machines that require a combination of all the food groups - proteins, carbohydrates, and fats - in order to function properly. Most diets cut out certain food groups, in particular carbohydrates and fat, which leads to a dramatic weight reduction in the short term, however once you bring these food groups back, you will most likely regain the weight you've lost. Cutting out food groups entirely is a bad idea and a danger to your health because you're depriving your body of much needed nutrients.

Obsession with food

Dieting leads to an obsession with food which can have adverse consequences on your work, family life and relationships. Constantly counting calories, thinking about what you're putting in your mouth leads to an unhealthy obsession. You don't want to be declining an invitation to a party because you're afraid of eating chips and cake.

Messing with your metabolism

Low calorie diets mess with your metabolism. Calorie restriction slows your metabolism down and instead of losing fat, your body hangs on to as much as possible. Going on a detox for a day or two to cleanse your body is one thing, starving yourself and eating under 1000 calories per day for a month or two and you're not doing your metabolism any favors. Too much dieting can cause permanent damage to your metabolism, therefore it's better to eat healthier every day.

Learn more about this author, Katarzyna Radzka.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.