Losing Weight by Crash Dieting is a Bad Idea

Resorting to crash dieting for losing weight is not a good idea, as eventually the body tries its best to regain the lost fat stores, according to researchers at J. Paul Sticht Center on Aging and Rehabilitation.
During the study researchers evaluated 78 postmenopausal women with an average age of 58-years who had lost 12% of their weight as part of the study from a dieting program. The study showed that older women who lose weight tend to gain it back again as fat and not muscle, which is all the more unhealthy. The weight regain showed 81% fat and only 19% muscle.
Principal investigator for the study, Dr. Barbara Nicklas said, "The body composition of some of the women was worse than before their weight loss. When older women lose weight, they also lose lean mass. Most women will gain a lot of the weight back, but the majority of the weight regained is fat."
The study is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.