- -A total of 47 per cent are so desperate they have turned to extreme measure
- -Half admitted they knew the health risks of laxatives when they took pills
- -Other drastic weight loss techniques include 'liquid diets' and smaller plates
Laxatives have been used by almost half of women in an attempt to lose weight.
Researchers found that 47 per cent of women are so desperate to shed the pounds that they have resorted to the pills at least once in their lifetime.
More than half of those taking laxatives said they knew it was bad for their health, with most admitting it produced no long-term result.
But the anti-constipation medication was used by slimmers looking for a quick fix, as it causes rapid water loss from the body.
It was just one of the weird weight-loss measures uncovered by researchers in the study of women’s attitude to weight.
They also found 45 per cent of women have tried fasting by skipping meals, and 39 per cent have tried the ‘cabbage soup diet’ as a replacement for normal food.
Experts warned these techniques may produce short-term weight loss but could lead to serious long-term health problems.
In the case of laxatives, the slimmer loses mostly water and very little fat, while frequent use can cause dehydration and long-term bowel damage.
The research, conducted by online pharmacy UKMedix.com, looked at the attitudes of 1,911 women aged 18 and over in the UK.
According to the results, 71 per cent of women claimed to regularly turn to weird weight loss techniques.
More than a third said they had tried a ‘liquid diet’, in which they consumed only liquids, while 26 per cent said they had replaced normal meals with bowls of cereal.#
Almost 30 per cent said they had tried body wraps, a beauty treatment which involves removing water from the skin to create temporary ‘inch-loss’.
TOP TEN WEIRD WEIGHT LOSS TECHNIQUES
1) Laxatives - 47 per cent
2) Fasting - 45 per cent
3) Cabbage soup diet - 39 per cent
4) Liquid diet - 35 per cent
5) Body wraps - 29 per cent
6) Cereal diet - 26 per cent
7) Baby food diet - 26 per cent
8) Raw food diet - 24 per cent
9) Small crockery - 18 per cent
10) Eating foods known to make you ill - 14 per cent
Incredibly, a quarter of women admitted to eating baby food instead of real meals while a similar proportion had tried eating only raw fruit and vegetables.
A crafty 18 per cent had tried tricking themselves into eating smaller portions by buying smaller plates.
And 14 per cent said they had purposely eaten foods they knew would make them ill in a bid to induce vomit or diarrhoea.
Just over half, 52 per cent, of the women taking part admitted that they would try a weight loss technique that piqued their interest, ‘even if it was outlined that it may negatively impact their health.’
Of these, three quarters, 76 per cent, explained that they ‘prioritised weight loss results’ over the potential of a negative impact on health.
More than 80 per cent claimed to have tried a ‘fad diet’ in the past while 45 per cent of women said they would try a diet if they’d read that a celebrity had done so.
Sarah Bailey of UKMedix.com said: ‘Some of the weird weight loss techniques we found to be most commonly employed by women in the UK were worrying - particularly those who claimed to turn to laxatives or eating foods known to disagree with them, or make them ill.
‘This simply isn’t healthy, and putting your health at risk to lose weight is absolutely not advisable- despite the results showing that a whopping half of women would do so.
‘We’d advise any women thinking of doing this simply not to. Your health is paramount, and a healthy diet coupled with exercise is always the best way to lose weight, not abusing medication or food allergies.’
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