Who has time to be healthy?
Not that the Slim Fast plan was ever a nutritious, rational option (in what world is ONE meal a day a good idea?), but their newest tagline just kills me.
“Slim Fast! Who has time to slim slowly?”
Awesome. Wonderful. Great thinking, Slim Fast! Because really, nothing could improve the ever-growing rates of obesity, eating disorders, and overall jacked up attitudes regarding food and body image like promoting a quick-fix diet solution!
Just to bring us back down to Earth (I’m sorry, I know how fun the magical, unicorn-filled fantasy world of easy, instant weight loss can be), here are some facts about slimming down too fast. According to WebMD, possible serious risks of dropping pounds too quickly include:
* Gallstones, which occur in 12% to 25% of people losing large amounts of weight over several months.
* Dehydration, which can be avoided by drinking plenty of fluids.
* Malnutrition, usually from not eating enough protein for weeks at a time.
* Electrolyte imbalances, which rarely can be life threatening.
Oh wait, there’s more! Though not as glamorous, crash dieters can also expect headaches, irritability (duh, who wouldn’t be irritable eating those dumb bars all day?), fatigue, dizziness, constipation, menstrual irregularities, hair loss, and muscle loss.
Now before the big bosses at Slim Fast send me a strongly-worded cease and desist letter, I should of course mention that their ad does claim to be “clinically proven.” But if you happen to pause the video on that alluring frame, you can read the teeny tiny print at the bottom of the screen that states, “Losing more than 30 pounds is not recommended. Exercise 30 minutes daily. Individual results may vary.”
I’m going to assume they ran out of space to include the part about gallstones.
The point is, it’s 2011. Let’s once and for all stop falling for these gimmicks and realize “nutrition” bars and shakes do not comprise a meal plan. Crash diets, no matter how “clinically proven,” are dangerous, deceptive, and in the end, totally ineffective.
And besides, this comedian is totally not funny.
— Michelle Konstantinovsky is a student at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism and an avid admirer of shiny objects and preteen entertainment. It would be nice if you visited her website: www.michellekmedia.com. Also, she may learn to use Twitter more effectively if you follow her @michelley415.
I was really hoping this was going to point me to an article at The Onion–it certainly seems absurd enough to be!
Healthy?
pff! Who wants to be healthy any way?! instead promote insanely unhealthy habits and diet products…. because being over weight is unhealthy? OK now I am confused!
The horrible truth is that most people think that eating that way is good for them, and way healthier than being overweight, truth is that fast dropping weight is far more harmful that being slightly overweight .
It enrages me to see how our society promotes unhealthy habits among people, this can not only lead to malnourishment but also to serious eating disorders
What is medically proven any way? dropping fast with slimfast is just as bad as dropping fast with what ever method you use.
definitively horrible…
And of course they never mention that you have to get off your butt and exercise, except in the fine print of course. Pfffffttt.