Healthy living: Weight loss trends you should avoid

Weight loss trends you should avoid (Photo: iStock)

We all know someone who is trying to lose weight and is feeling desperate. While the desire for transformation is understandable, it is important to distinguish between safe and healthy practices, and those that, despite being popular, can pose a significant risk.

One such approach is the very low-calorie diet (VLCD), which is widely popularised yet profoundly hazardous and most people undertake without any medical supervision. This diet restricts daily calorie intake to 800 calories or less and promises dramatic weight loss in a short period. While it is true that you will lose weight, there is more to it than that.