protest, like those carried out by Mohandas Gandhi in
the 1920s and 1930s.
For whatever reason it is done, fasting should
never be used for weight loss. Medical professionals
disagree about whether fasting should be used for
other reasons, but it is overwhelmingly accepted that
fasting is not an effective way to lose weight and that it
can be very dangerous. Not only does fasting slow
down the metabolic processes, meaning that it can
actually result in overall weight gain, it also weakens
the immune system and can make people vulnerable to
many serious diseases and conditions, including liver
and kidney failure. People considering a fast should
always consult with their doctor to make sure that they
will not be risking their health.Liquid Diets for Medical Weight Loss
When a person is extremely obese, a physician
may prescribe a medically monitored weight loss pro-
gram that will usually involve replacing solid foods
with a liquid substitute. The liquid substitute will usu-
ally supply between 500 and 800 calories each day,
which means that it qualifies as a very low calorie
diet. The liquid substitute will also supply all of the
necessaryvitaminsandmineralsthat would normally
be provided by solid food. Typically the liquid sub-
stitute comes in the form of a shake. Patients are told
to drink a certain number of shakes every day, rather
than eating, and to use that time period to break withold eating habits. After a number of weeks of rapid
weight loss and frequent meetings with a physician,
who monitors the health and progress of the patient,
solid foods may be slowly reintroduced. The entire
process is difficult and risky. It should only be under-
taken when prescribed by a physician and it must be
monitored by a medical professional!. Usually, this
sort of liquid diet is only prescribed when serious
health risks, caused byobesity, outweigh any risks
from the program.
One popular medically observed liquid diet is
called Optifast. It is produced by the Swiss company,
Novartis Medical Nutrition Corporation, that is also
known for making Gerber baby food. They report
that, in a study of 20,000 people who used the Optifast
program for 22 weeks, the average person lost 52
pounds and decreased their blood pressure by 10 per-
cent. The Optifast system is extremely expensive and
not intended for the typical dieter.Commercially Available Liquid Diets
Possibly because of the reputation for rapid
weight loss in seriously obese patients, several less
expensive, liquid meal replacements have become
commercially available for weight loss without medi-
cal supervision. These products are not usually
intended to replace every meal or all solid foods.
These products are intended to help dieters lose weight
quickly, though they often do little to affect long term
lifestyle changes.
One of the more popular commercially available
liquid meal replacements is called Slim Fast. The Slim
Fast plan says dieters should eat one regular meal
during the day and replace the rest with low-calorie
shakes. The shakes each provide one-third of the daily
recommendations for a healthy diet. Slim Fast is one
of the few liquid replacement plans that defends its
plan with controlled clinical studies. In a study done at
the University of California, Los Angeles School of
Medicine, 300 patients followed the Slim-Fast diet for
12 weeks. They lost an average of 15 pounds and 76%
were able to keep at least 80% of the weight off by one
year later. However, most dieticians still maintain that
a liquid replacement diet is not an appropriate sub-
stitute for a healthy lifestyle.Function
Different liquid diets are intended for different
functions. Many patients must follow a liquid diet
before or after a medical procedure to clear out their
digestive system. Fasting is done for religious, medi-
cal, and even political reasons. Physicians prescribeKEY TERMS
Diabetes mellitus—A condition in which the body
either does not make or cannot respond to the
hormone insulin. As a result, the body cannot use
glucose (sugar). There are two types, type 1 or
juvenile onset and type 2 or adult onset.
Fast—A period of at least 24 hours in which a
person eats nothing and drinks only water.
Mineral—An inorganic substance found in the
earth that is necessary in small quantities for the
body to maintain a health. Examples: zinc, copper,
iron.
Obese—More than 20% over the individual’s ideal
weight for their height and age or having a body
mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater.
Vitamin—A nutrient that the body needs in small
amounts to remain healthy but that the body cannot
manufacture for itself and must acquire through
diet.Liquid diets