Diet scam

Talking about scams, how about one which is actually dangerous to your health?

Pascal sez:
Already, its reference, the Atkins diet ("eat what you like but zero carbs"), has proven to be dangerous. Oh, sure, it worked for losing weight, and amazingly... if it didn't kill you!
The nutritional principle is quite simple, really: in omnivores like us, if you suppress carbs the body goes into a metabolic state identical to fasting, burning its own fat by converting it into what is called "ketonic bodies". The amazing thing about it is that, exceptionally, brain cells become able to feed on them too, while usually they can only burn glucose. But... such a state, identical to starvation, puts you at risk not only from lack of vitamins: any added bodily imbalance, like, say, a common cold, may then initiate an acidosis of the blood which can be fatal very quickly. In a nutshell: it does slim you down, by artificially starving your cells through glucose deprivation; but it is a very risky gambit.

I'll seize the opportunity to warn about other "miracle" slimming methods.

- Appetite suppressants, such as amphetamins. Many dangerous side effects, and as soon as you discontinue them the yo-yo goes right back up, maybe even with more kilos in the end.

- Thyroid extracts or hormones. "The great thing about them is, your appetite increases, while you actually lose weight!" Well, sure... technically! Except, they act by hormonally increasing your overall metabolism, equivalent to the Graves disease (a.k.a. Basedow disease). Main inconvenience: you don't actually burn your fat, BUT YOUR MUSCLE MASS. Including your heart muscle, at some point. With a risk of sudden death by cardiac failure or fibrillation.

- Diuretics: they only make you eliminate fluids. You lose water and salt, basically. It's a cheap cheat that'll vanish as fast as it appeared, because your body has its own normal balance and maintains it. And if your body doesn't, then you don't need a diet, you need a specialist to solve your kidney / heart / endocrine problem, 'cause you have one. Fluid and electrolyte imbalances are also potentially life-threatening.

- Herbal mysterious concoctions: I'm not going to mock herbal medications, they're far more than mere placeboes. Many drugs come from plants. But these herbal diets usually (probably always) work in the same manner as one of the three above. You've been warned.

- Eating healthy by eliminating overly fatty/sweet foods, and doing physical exercise: actually, this one works. It's the only one that truly and genuinely does. Downside: it requires WILLPOWER. The only miracle can come from YOU. It isn't sold in pills over the internet.

You can trust this advice I'm giving you, not only because I'm a professional medic, but because I have nothing to gain from it, so you know I have no reason to lie to you. Unlike sexy Kimkins.
On second thought, I do have something to gain from it: the satisfaction of helping for the sake of it. Call me a shellfish. :-)