What happens when you often skip meals?
According to Dr. Pooja Pillai, specialist in Internal Medicine, Aster CMI Hospital (Bangalore, India), the body needs to be provided with adequate and regular nutrition. Skipping meals regularly can cause blood sugar levels to drop suddenly, causing dizziness, fatigue, hand tremors and difficulty concentrating because the body does not have time to adapt to erratic eating rhythms.
Contrary to popular beliefs, skipping meals does not help burn fat faster but can also slow down metabolism, making long-term weight loss difficult. Even, the body tends to store fat to reserve energy.
Besides, skipping meals easily leads to eating too much at the end of the day, increasing cravings and the risk of consuming high-sugar, high-calorie foods, thereby causing weight gain.
Potential risks of improper interrupted fasting
Interrupted fasting, if performed unscientifically, can cause many digestive problems such as acid reflux, nausea, bloating, especially in people with sensitive digestive systems. Symptoms such as headache, irritability, lack of energy and difficulty concentrating are also quite common.
Besides, prolonged fasting can also cause hormone disruption, especially in women. This condition can affect menstrual cycle, fertility and general endocrine health because the body falls into a state of stress due to malnutrition.
For people with underlying diseases such as diabetes, thyroid or blood pressure disorders, fasting without medical instructions can cause dangerous fluctuations in blood sugar and blood pressure.
Loss of muscle, malnutrition and prolonged stress
A little-noticed harm of skipping meals and intermittent fasting is muscle loss. When not enough energy is supplied, the body can decompose muscles to create energy, directly affecting health and fitness.
Skipping meals also means that it is easy to lack essential vitamins and minerals, leading to weakness, hair loss, immune deficiency or skin problems if prolonged.
In addition, irregular eating habits also affect sleep and stress levels, creating a vicious cycle of fatigue, stress and unhealthy food choices.
Who should not fast interrupted?
Interrupted fasting is not suitable for everyone. The following groups are recommended to avoid:
Children
Pregnant or breastfeeding women
Elderly people
People who are sick or have weak constitution
Experts emphasize that diet needs to be adjusted according to age, health status and lifestyle, instead of chasing trends.
Expert advice
According to recommendations, eating balanced meals is still a safe and sustainable choice for health. Combining protein, fiber and healthy fats in each meal helps maintain energy, limit hunger and avoid blood sugar and hormone disorders.
The information in the article is for reference only, not for medical diagnosis or treatment. You should talk directly with your doctor for accurate and appropriate advice to your health condition.
