Unhealthy eating is a harmful problem in America, and contrary to a very outdated perception, this harm is not limited to those who suffer from obesity[1]. In reality, according to
Directors of Health Promotion and Education, majority of Americans exhibit unhealthy eating habits, with just over one in four women and only one in five men claiming to eat minimum five daily servings of vegetables and fruits[i].In response to this growing wave of American malnutrition, a number of nutrition-based solutions have been proposed. This has been both a positive, an ironically, a negative, development.
This has been positive in light of simple fact that it has helped increase basic “nutrition IQ”. The fact that most urban centers are home to dozens of diet and weight loss centers, and that many malls now have at least one health store has advanced awareness of America’s unhealthy eating problem.
So, too, have numerous television shows and news reports that have covered popular diets that dominate current weight loss discussions, such as: Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet, Zone Diet, and more. The fact that a vending machine may actually contain a piece of fruit these days is further positive expressions of this growing nutritional awareness.
However, there is a downside as well. This increasing information has created a dizzying health and nutrition marketplace within which some irresponsible products are being offered. Among these products – and arguably worst kind -- are those that artificially suppress appetite.
There are two equally important reasons why appetite suppressants are dangerous and irresponsible nutrition ideas.
The first reason is that they delude dieters into thinking that real weight is being lost. For example, an unfortunately popular choice for some dieters is to take diet pills. These pills are often diuretics that promote weight-loss through water loss. As such, while a dieter will feel less hungry and lose weight while taking diet pills, both of these effects will cease when taking pills cease. Weight gain will return rapidly, as will appetite[ii].
This leads to other reason why these appetite suppressant products are irresponsible and harmful. The human body is home to a vastly intelligent network of systems, cells, chemicals, and neurotransmitters. Regardless of one’s personal view of evolution of how human body came to be this way, it is agreed by both creationists, evolutionists, and everyone else that human body is a remarkable example of comprehensive intelligence.
For example, human body is able to synthetically produce – without any conscious help from owner of that body – 12 of 20 amino acids that comprise protein[2]. Or consider blood, whose plasma carries platelets that enable minor wound blot clotting. Both of these examples reflect a special kind of intelligence that human body humbly and quietly exhibits throughout life.
When hunger is artificially suppressed it interferes with this intelligence. The body and its intricate network of problem-solving mechanisms become confused. Basically, body is still hungry, but it does not feel hungry. The body is still craving basic nutrition it requires to survive: proteins, essential fats, nutrients, vitamins, and calories. Yet because hunger signal is not being effectively transmitted from these systems to brain – due to appetite suppressant – individual dieter is not responding. In short-term, a dieter may lose some pounds[3]. In long-term dieter will suffer from some form of malnutrition.
