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Are You Thinking of Using Laxatives
to Lose Weight? |
Some people who are trying to lose weight
have heard that laxatives can help. The theory is that you can
consume as much food as you want and then use laxatives to force
the food through your body quickly; therefore, your body will
not be able to absorb the calories before the nutrients are
passed through the body.
This is a very dangerous myth. Most laxatives operate by forcing
large amounts of water into the stool. This causes the fecal
matter to pass quickly through the intestines. This expulsion
can be forceful and unpleasant.
The problem with the theory that laxatives will allow food to be
expelled before your body absorbs the calories is that by the
time the food you consume reaches the intestines, the majority
of calories and nutrients have been absorbed already. Therefore,
the use of laxatives to lose weight is futile. Not only is it
futile - it is dangerous.
You may notice the drop a few pounds if you use laxatives to
lose weight; however, this is due to water loss. The way that
laxatives work is as follows: they draw water from the body and
then use this water to soften the stool and expel the fecal
matter from the intestines. (Once you rehydrate, you will gain
the weight back.)
The danger with this is that the loss of water can disrupt the
delicate balance of electrolytes in your body. It is impossible
to rehydrate your body quickly enough if you frequently use
laxatives to lose weight. This imbalance of electrolytes can
actually be life threatening.
Using laxatives to lose weight is not the answer. The only way
to lose weight safely and effectively is through a sensible
combination of diet and exercise. By making healthy choices in
both your diet and your activity level - not by using laxatives
to lose weight - you will be able to watch the pounds drop off
and enjoy a longer, healthier life.
Lose The Weight and Keep it
Off...
...For Good.
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