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Here’s What Skipping Meals Does To Your Body
Skipping meals to go on an extreme diet does sound glamorous but is far from it. According to experts, not eating enough through regular intervals has disastrous long-term effects on your body and should be taken seriously. Read on to know what these are and how to regulate eating.
Updated Dec 9, 2023 , 09:11 AM IST
Skipping meals has serious long-term consequences for your body
New Delhi: Looking to lose weight? Well, there are many healthy ways to do it, however, those who seek a short-cut method – extreme dieting, suffer from much more than just shedding kilos.
According to experts, skipping meals has serious long-term consequences for your body. Food helps to power every system and organ, so pretty much every part of your body is impacted when you skip a meal or fast for too long.
Changes in the body happen because glucose – the primary source of energy for your brain and the body is derived from food and not eating at regular intervals reduces the immediate energy supply.
Here are the dangerous consequences that people experience upon skipping meals:
Anxiety
Going way too long without eating could have a serious impact on your mental health. According to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, skipping breakfast is associated with a greater risk of experiencing heightened stress and depression in teenagers. 1
Doctors say going too long without eating causes your blood sugar to take a significant dip, and your body begins to produce cortisol. Also known as the stress hormone, cortisol is released to help regulate that dip in blood sugar, while creating a stress response, leaving you anxious, moody, and irritable.
Digestive issues
Skipping meals also leads to both nausea and diarrhoea, apart from causing severe constipation.
According to the American Psychological Association, when you do not eat, the release of cortisol irritates the digestive system and causes the digestive system to go haywire. If you are in a vicious cycle of skipping a meal and then binge eating, this will further thwart your digestion. 2
Experts say since your body knows its limit of taking stress as a response to not eating, in the long-term it can be detrimental to your overall health.
Developing eating disorders
Those who skip meals are at a higher risk of developing eating disorders, A study published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders, dieting and skipping meals are strongly correlated with developing anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge-eating disorders.
In severe cases, eating disorders can cause serious health consequences and may even result in death if left untreated. Eating disorders are among the deadliest mental illnesses, second to opioid overdose.
Drop in blood sugar levels
When you do not eat enough throughout the day, a drop in blood sugar levels is inevitable. Low blood sugar can make you feel tired, dizzy, sluggish, shaky, and like you may pass out. You may even find it hard to concentrate because your brain does not get the fuel it needs to think straight.
Glucose in your body comes directly from carbohydrates and your brain uses ketones - compounds created by the liver after breaking down fats, but your brain much prefers to get its energy from glucose. Skipping meals can be especially harmful if you have diabetes and take insulin or oral diabetes medications.
How to avoid skipping meals
Experts say come what may, do not deprive your body of nutrients and so, there are a few ways you can maintain your weight, sanity, and health, without going on an extreme diet:
Plan ahead
Keep healthy, low-calorie, and low-fat snacks and no-prep foods handy like fresh fruits, baby carrots, sliced vegetables, yogurt, cheese, nuts, etc.
Prep for the week
Make sure to always wash and chop vegetables and pre-portion out herbs, spices, and condiments so that when it comes time to make the meal, most of the work is already done.
For breakfast whip up filling foods like overnight oats, yogurt, and hardboiled eggs as they are quick and easy on the stomach.
Cook larger portions
Dinner can be great for lunch the next day. Create larger portions and pre-portion the leftovers into containers for lunch on the go during the week.
Schedule mealtimes
Make sure to eat regularly at a designated time and stick to it throughout the week. Set healthy boundaries with coworkers and family so they know that this time is not available.
Exercise
Make sure to exercise regularly to ward off the extra calories and keep yourself fit and healthy.
Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.
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