Caution: Very-Low-Calorie Diets Can Be Deadly

Excerpt

Once we attain our adult size, usually by age 18 to 20, chronic overeating with a positive caloric balance results in obesity. Obesity is associated with an increased likelihood of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and elevated concentrations of blood lipids. Furthermore, obesity may have negative psychosocial implications for the affected person. During the last 20 years the American public has been made aware of the health implications of overeating, and weight reduction programs with special, very-low-calorie diets have become big business. As recently pointed out by Kannel and Thorn (1), "obesity control is one of the chief hygienic measures available for