The videos popping up on YouTube of young girls trying the latest fad in weight loss are a cause for alarm. In an attempt to look more like the models and actresses they are exposed to every day, girls between the ages of nine and sixteen are turning to the cotton ball diet and orange juice to slim down. The main idea of the diet is to fill their stomach with cotton balls that are not digested and which contribute no calories so that they lose weight.
What is the Cotton Ball Diet?
As strange as it sounds, people are literally eating balls of cotton that have been dipped in orange juice or other drinks in order to “fill up” their stomach so they won’t want to eat. Although the diet might seem new because of its sudden appearance on the internet, it is believed that super-thin models have been using the diet for years.
Whether an unnaturally thin body is something that the person wants in order to boost their self-esteem, or it is something they need in order to be better at their career, the diet is one trend that many nutrition experts hope will end soon. Teenage girls are already at a greater risk of developing eating disorders and this diet could be the starting point. Once the initial weight loss of fluids and muscle has subsided, loss of fat begins. This slower weight loss can be discouraging, leading girls to try even more drastic measures to lose their unwanted pounds.
Another problem with the cotton ball diet is that the “balls of cotton” are often not made of cotton at all. Many of those on the market are made of polyester fibers that have been bleached and which have chemicals added.
Cotton Ball Diet Side Effects Pose Serious and Life-Threatening Risks
One of the most obvious side effects from eating balls of cotton is that orange juice in small quantities is not close to having the nutrition that the body needs. Vitamin deficiencies and malnourishment can lead to illness and also interfere with normal growth. What may not seem obvious is the threat that comes from eating cotton balls even though they are saturated. They still present a choking hazard. After they are swallowed, the risks grow.
Once a number of cotton balls have been eaten, they can create a large ball, called a bezoar, that can cause an obstruction of the stomach or intestines. This situation can lead to emergency surgery. There is also the possibility of digestive enzymes washing back up into the esophagus or lungs. The balls of cotton could cause permanent damage to any of the areas affected.
Fiber a Better Choice than the Cotton Ball Diet
Foods that are high in fiber and low in calories are also nutrient rich. Eating these foods has the same type of effect that eating cotton balls has by making you feel fuller, longer. Not only will you eliminate the risks associated with eating balls of cotton as a diet that consists of cotton balls and liquids, but you will enjoy healthy weight loss that will help prevent other health conditions from developing.
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