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Dangerous Dieting: Using Diuretics & Laxatives to Lose Weight

July 2nd, 2008

While there are some highly effective ways of losing weight and keeping it off, there are also some very dangerous methods. Two of those unsafe techniques would be the use of diuretics and laxatives. Neither product is made as a tool for losing weight, and users (and their bodies) can quickly become addicted to them. While some people may see a slight decrease in the number on the scales, diuretics and laxatives generally offer more harmful effects than good.



Diuretics include any medications used to increase urination. They are prescribed to help treat such conditions as high blood pressure, glaucoma, and kidney disorders, but certainly not obesity. Diuretics can work in one of three ways: by forcing the kidneys to add more salt to the urine (less sodium means less water retention), by decreasing salt absorption in the body, or by reducing the production of a hormone that causes the kidneys to retain salt and water.

Laxatives are similar to diuretics in inducing excretion, though they provoke bowel movements instead of urination. They are often used to soften the stool and treat constipation, and as with diuretics, not obesity! They work by sponging up all the water in your body to ease your bowels. Abusers of laxatives often have eating disorders, such as bulimia, and think it is necessary to quickly rid the body of food after each meal so as to not gain weight.

The use of diuretics and laxatives can potentially be more harmful to your body than being overweight. The biggest reason for this is the addiction you can get by taking them, as well as the dependency your body may adopt. It may be hard for you to use the restroom after you’ve stopped taking these products because your body has relied on them, if only for a few days or weeks. Repeated use of either can also cause dehydration. Prolonged use of diuretics can cause kidney and liver damage, cramping, and thickening of the blood. Abusing laxatives may lead to irritable bowel system, renal failure, and pancreatitis.

As if the dangers of using these methods aren’t enough to make someone not use them, the results obtained from the use of diuretics and laxatives are often much less than satisfactory. If you do happen to lose weight, it will most certainly be for the short term and could be at the expense of causing other problems. Some people think if they rid their body of most of the water they take in, they can lose weight. In reality, that leads to dehydration, which will actually cause your body to start retaining water, adding water weight. These people may also think if they rid their body of all food as soon as they eat it, the fat will not be absorbed. Again, this is not true. By the time laxatives take effect, the food is in the intestines, and most of the calories and fat have already been absorbed into the body. Essential nutrients are sometimes not absorbed when laxatives are used, which can cause other organs to stop working properly.

Overall, the use of diuretics and laxatives for weight loss purposes is just not worth it. They offer many more negative effects than they do good, and those negative effects can be extremely dangerous to your health. Improper use of these products can lead to an obsession by you or your body, which will make it harder for you to stop use.

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