A question about starvation, dizziness, vitamins and body fat reserves.

[Anonymous]

I was having a discussion with someone at work.

He is losing weight by barely eating (less than 200 cals) and takes vitamins.

I couldn't convince him that what he was doing was dangerous and I asked him if he ever gets dizzy. To which he responded by saying that he doesn't and it's because your body turns your fat into glucose.

I told him that one time for a few days, I didn't eat enough and the room spun. He says it's because I have less body fat (I'm healthy, but above my ideal weight), so if that was true about the fat/glucose, I wouldn't have been dizzy?

He's planning to keep like that until he's happy with his weight and if starvation mode does affect him, he'll just eat to keep at that weight and if he goes over, rinse and repeat until he stays level.

I told him that even if he takes the multi vitamins, he will still lack things such as Omega 3 etc, but he wasn't that bothered.

Is there any truth in this? Regarding the dizziness and surviving on little food if you have body fat and take vitamins?

[DanAG]

He can mess himself up really bad that way and it can be permanent damage. He might get by with it for a while, but I sure hope he doesn't plan on doing that any length of time. He could be doing serious irreversible damage and may not notice any symptoms for a long time.

Yes, the body can convert fat into energy, but there is a heck of a lot more to nutrition than energy and vitamins. Where's he getting his proteins? Lack of proteins is a cause of starvation just as much as lack of energy and other nutrients. The really skinny staving kids you see in pictures is mostly due to lack of proteins. (The bloated looking starving kids is due to lack of both protein and energy combined.)

Every body organ and every bodily process needs a continuous resupply of the proper nutrients. Your body can provide some, but sooner or later you will need ALL of them to be replenished. Taking vitamins just isn't going to cut it.

This kind of thing can cause all kind of problems down the road. If he does it for a long time he might get symptoms 20 years from now.

[kheserthorpe]

what he said to you was correct, however what he's doing is stupid.

It is true that he's shifted into ketosis and will not be bothered by low blood sugar because his body is indeed using fat as its primary energy source.

Its stupid because your central nervous system cannot use fat as an energy source. His is currently using ketones produced in the liver, out of protein.

Where is his body getting the protein?

Its chewing up his muscle tissue to get it.

You can in theory die if you do this long enough, but beyond that he's slowing his metabolism in a way that WON'T bounce back when he resumes eating, plus since his goal is probably appearance, losing muscle is not desireable.

If he's going to crash diet, he probably needs 600-800 calories worth of protein a day to support ketone production, plus some minerals, omega 3's and his vitamins.

That would be the 'smart' way to crash diet.

[Sovereign1979]

I 100% agree with this answer. kheserthorpe is 100% correct.

[driftangel]

starvation isn't healthy, perhaps he isn't starving himself but fasting? My brother does often fasting by eating and drinking nothing except water for about 4 days, really even I found it kindof ridicilous but your body really is burning fat.

You should really see this:

link

And I am most definitely not on his side since I think a healthy balanced diet and exercise is a much better long-term way to have the proper weight.

[kdizzleforizzle91]

It's stupid to cut calories out if you're only taking in that little. The smarter thing would be to just cut down on carbs. I did that on the Atkins Diet and have lost 25 lbs. just by changing my eating habits.

[martyfellow]

Your body can use fat as an energy source, but it's using his muscle tissue as well, at the same time, to support energy production, so he's not doing hmself any overall good in terms of improving his fintness.

And starvation is damaging to your digestive system overall, causing it to go into dysfunctional activity. This is why people on hunger strike, even if they don't die, take years and maybe never really recover from it totally.

[Anonymous]

Everyone gets dizzy without eating, but that feeling passes once you go into Ketosis. Look into water fasting, it is a wonderful way to heal the body but you have to do it the right way.

[Anonymous]

He is going to do serious long term harm to his body. but as you also found out by talking to him, some people are just too damn stupid to take anyones advice.

[Konnour]

Starvation is never healthy... unless the person is morbidly obese.

[KingsOfleon88]

Even in one who is morbidly obese, it is not Healthy.

[Konnour]

It's still healthier than to remain obese.