Comment on Daily Mail article dated Sept 10 2009

Source: Bride-to-be died after losing 3st in 11 weeks on crash diet... eating just 530 calories a day

It is impossible to say whether Samantha Clowe died as a result of the Lighter Life low calorie diet regime or some underlying heart problems that she had before she started the diet. Low calorie diets especially as low as 530 calories per day allow for rapid weight loss, which is due to loss of fat but also muscle. Losing weight very quickly may cause muscle wasting which could cause heart arrhythmia in some people. Although many people do lose weight on low calorie diets without any obvious side effects they are not the best option for losing weight.

I would not recommend following an extreme low calorie diet as there are other negative effects apart from muscle wasting. One is reduced thyroid function. Our bodies are designed to store fat during times of plenty and then hold on to the fat during times of famine. The body does this by regulating thyroid function, which causes the metabolism to slow down when calorie intake is low. This is done very efficiently but once normal calorie intake is resumed the weight may pile back on due to the slowed metabolic rate. Studies have shown that the resting metabolic rate remains reduced after eating a very low calorie diet even after food intake is returned back to a normal level. Often dieters lose weight only to gain it all back again plus more.

Another issue with low calorie diets is that as the calories and the amount of food are reduced so are the nutrients taken in by the body. So the body will have difficulty functioning well with a lower level of vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fats and fibre. In addition compliance to a diet of 1200 calories is far more feasible than a very low calorie diet of 530 calorie so although weight loss may be slower it is more likely to be kept off.

Doing a low calorie diet that is based on drinking shakes could cause digestive issues in the long term. Although these shakes have all the nutrients needed for a person to survive, they can never provide the same sustenance and fibre as nature provides in real food. Chewing food causes the digestive juices to flow and prepares the body for digestion, absorption and elimination. Drinking a shake does not have the same effect and cannot be as beneficial as eating real healthy food!

Although this case seems to be an extreme example of what can happen when a low calorie diet is followed, there are definitely negative aspects to following such a low calorie diet and I would never recommend that anyone follow such a regime. 1200 calories would be the minimum recommended calorie intake and in addition exercise is essential to prevent muscle wasting and stimulate the resting metabolic rate.

Expert: Cathy Castle (BSc, Dip ION, MBANT) www.nutritionimpact.co.uk