How Can Intermittent Fasting Be Dangerous?
Intermittent Fasting (IF) is a recently popular dietary trend and eating pattern characterized by limiting periods of eating and alternating between periods of eating and fasting. Many reported health benefits of intermittent fasting are related to weight loss, although much research regarding intermittent fasting is still in the early stages.
By: Krizia Crooke
Although intermittent fasting seems like a harmless trend because it does not mainly require one to eliminate food groups, it can be dangerous. Side effects may include extreme hunger, lightheadedness, fatigue, digestive issues, and mood changes. Still, it can also have more dangerous risks, such as malnutrition, disturbance of blood sugar, and an increase in eating disorder behaviors.¹
Blood Sugar
For individuals with diabetes or with poor blood glucose control, intermittent fasting may result in extreme blood sugar spikes and falls. Treatment of poor blood glucose control includes a diet that is consistent in carbohydrates, meaning that controlled amounts of carbohydrates are consumed during each meal consistently throughout the day to prevent fluctuations in blood sugar. With intermittent fasting, since food consumption is restricted to a certain period of time, it may cause individuals to be in a state of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) during times of fasting or high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) after a period of fasting, which can often result in overeating. Drastic fluctuations in blood sugar, especially in those with diabetes, can be dangerous independently, resulting in other uncomfortable symptoms and complications such as sweating, dizziness, fatigue, and even neuropathy (nerve damage), heart disease, and hypertension (high blood pressure).²
Eating Disorders
While intermittent fasting does not directly include caloric restriction, it can open the door to eating disorder behaviors, such as rigidity, rules, and restriction. A 2008 study on college-aged women found that women engaging in fasting reported a greater awareness and internalization of the thin ideal, lower self-esteem, psychological stress, and a higher engagement in perceived binge eating episodes than those who did not fast.³
As mentioned earlier, some characteristics associated with eating disorders include rigidity, food rules, and restrictive behaviors. Intermittent fasting can result in cognitive rigidity and heightened attention to detail because of this hyper-focus on food patterns and scheduling periods of eating and restriction. Obsessive tendencies and a need to feel in control can eventually lead to an eating disorder. Food rules are already a part of the intermittent fasting trend. These rules can change and progress over time, meaning that they can worsen and intensify to more rigid and irrational food rules, such as avoiding entire food groups. While intermittent fasting does not incorporate a ‘diet’ or a caloric deficit aspect, the restriction is likely to happen when one is limiting periods of eating and possibly being inflexible with these time frames.
The binge-restrict pendulum is used to describe the cycle that occurs when one restricts and deprives one’s body of food, despite feeling hungry, which can inevitably result in overconsumption and overeating to make up for a period of restriction. Binge eating is characterized as an episode of rapid and excessive food consumption, more specifically, an amount of food that is larger than ‘normal’ and in a discrete period of time.⁴ The oscillating action of a pendulum is helpful when visualizing why exactly a period of restriction can result in a period of bingeing.
At BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™, our compassionate, highly skilled team of clinicians is trained in diagnosing and treating the spectrum of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, and other disordered eating and body image issues. In addition to our full-time Day Treatment Program and Weeknight Intensive Outpatient Program, we offer individualized nutrition counseling, meal supports, and a variety of other groups and resources to assist those seeking help for food concerns. Click the button below to learn more about our programs and services.
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This post was written by BALANCE Dietetic Intern, Krizia Crooke.
Krizia is a Dietetic Intern and graduate student at New York University where she is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Clinical Nutrition. She completed her undergraduate education at Texas Woman’s University, majoring in Nutrition and minoring in Criminal Justice. After completing her dietetic internship, Krizia plans to work in the realm of eating disorders and is passionate about incorporating the HAES approach into her practice.
References
1. Zhaoping Li MD. Patient information: Intermittent fasting. JAMA. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2784658. Published October 5, 2021. Accessed November 16, 2021.
2. Intermittent fasting with diabetes: A guide. Healthline Web site. https://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/intermittent-fasting-and-diabetes-safe. Updated 2021. Accessed Nov 8, 2021.
3. Cuccolo K, Kramer R, Petros T, Thoennes M. Intermittent fasting implementation and association with eating disorder symptomatology. null. 2021:1-21. https://www-tandfonline-com.proxy.library.nyu.edu/doi/full/10.1080/10640266.2021.1922145. Accessed Nov 14, 2021. doi: 10.1080/10640266.2021.1922145.
4. Setnick J. The Eating Disorders Clinical Pocket Guide. Snack Time Press; 2013.