Obsession with weight loss and dieting has become a national crisis. The health hazards and dangers of weight loss are not to be taken lightly.

Weight loss is a health-related endeavor. As such, it should be subject to accountability, clinical testing, and stringent regulation. Unfortunately, this is not the case. As a result, high-risk patients are often given high-risk treatments.

The only explanation for the above phenomenon is that the billion-dollar weight loss industry and its entrenchment with Congress policy makers are all behind it. They want you to lose weight to the extent of completely disregarding the health hazards and dangers of weight loss.

Dieting and weight loss are the goals of many individuals. But beware! Overweight is bad enough for your health, but overcoming overweight may be even worse. It could be a case of jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Indeed, weight loss can be dangerous, and even deadly.

Sudden death syndrome does happen to dieters. Women are more prone to sudden death syndrome than men. Sudden death syndrome is often due to total and prolonged fasting, too-low-calorie dieting, obesity surgery, and other health complications resulting from drastic measures to lose weight.

Besides sudden death syndrome, people who use nicotine to lose weight may face other heath issues, such as heart disease and lung cancer. In spite of the potential health risks in smoking, many people opt to use nicotine to lose weight, because nicotine can accelerate loss of calories by as much as 10 percent if they spoke 24 cigarettes a day. Sadly, many people focus their attention only on the immediate result of using nicotine to lose weight without any regard for their health issues down the road. Do not use nicotine to lose weight.

Many adolescents and young adults are so obsessed with getting the perfect body image that they may go to the extreme of using induced vomiting to lose those extra pounds. In addition, the use of laxatives, such as water pills, has potential health hazards in that they may lose potassium, which is critical to building muscle mass and normal heart functioning. Dehydration is yet another health problem. Worst, these extreme measures in weight reduction may lead to eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia.

Dieting is the most common method of weight loss. There are many fad diets, many of which are too low in calories that they are tantamount to a "starvation" diet. Calorie deprivation can lead to depression, development of gallstones, cardiac disorders, anemia, hair loss, and a host of health problems and complications.

Many individuals want a quick fix to their overweight problems, and they turn to oral and injected medications aimed at weight reduction. Some of these drugs may contain dangerous chemicals, such as dexfenfluramine, which can cause brain damage.

Exercise is an excellent weight-loss aid. But compulsive exercise is something else. To some, exercise takes priority over everything else in their lives. Compulsive exercise often results in stress injuries.

Finally, many obese individuals resort to surgery to eliminate their weight problems. Unfortunately, obesity surgery does not solve weight problems. In the first two years or so, some patients may have their weight under control. But many late complications begin to surface down the road. Obesity surgery for weight loss is dangerous and should be the last option in weight loss.

Weight loss is a complex health problem. As such, solutions are many, but they are far from being simple and safe. Just don't jump from the frying pan into the fire!

Copyright (c) 2009 Stephen Lau