Are Laxatives and Diuretics a Safe Way to Lose Weight?

Looking slim and trim is important to many people especially those that are young. Many women and even some men have eating disorders and use laxatives and diuretics as a way to control their weight. It is not safe, nor is it advised to use such drastic measures to affect weight loss.

Laxatives

The primary purpose of using laxatives is to help soften stool when one is constipated. Those with eating disorders or an unhealthy desire to be reed thin use it to keep their bowels emptied and believe that this is a way to lose weight. The truth of the matter is that the only weight you lose is from loss of fluids and dehydration is a very real risk that one takes when using a laxative on a daily basis.

Those that use laxatives for weight loss are not losing fat at all. Using laxatives for long periods of time will cause you to bloat, retain water and you may experience cramping. If you have been using laxatives for a long period, when you stop you may also experience withdrawal symptoms.

Other side effects of abusing laxatives are imbalances of your electrolytes and bloody diarrhea. Overall, using laxatives as a method for weight loss can result in permanent damage to your bowels as well as severe complications. Many laxative abusers have other, more serious psychological conditions that have nothing to do with weight issues. Laxative abuse is associated with compulsive behaviors and eating disorders such as binging and purging.

Diuretics 

Diuretics are often referred to as water pills and are used to rid one’s body of excess fluid and salt. They are often used by people with heart conditions to avoid an overload of fluids that can cause heart failure. Many people abuse diuretics as they do laxatives as they feel that using this method can help them attain their weight loss goals.

Abuse of diuretics is as dangerous as the abuse of laxatives for weight control. There is no lasting effect when using either of these two substances. The only thing that a water pill will do is rid the body of fluid and can result in dehydration and result in damage to the kidneys along with electrolyte imbalance. Proper electrolyte balance is vital for your organs to function correctly and can impact your liver, kidneys and the heart if not taken as directed for a medical condition. When your electrolytes are out of kilter you stand a very real chance of risking sudden death or heart failure. Continued use of diuretics can cause irreversible damage along with some serious complications to your health. Those that use diuretics will begin to retain fluid when they are not needed and this in turns keeps the vicious cycle of abuse going.

If you want to lose weight the only way to do it properly and effectively is to change your lifestyle. Cut out sugars and unhealthy carbohydrates. Avoid red meat and instead eat lean proteins. Fill up on fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy whole grains. Start an exercise plan and stick to it. There is no reason to use drastic methods such as laxatives or diuretics to lose weight as they really don’t work and can cause so many health problems when they are abused.