How To Laxatives Make You Lose Weight

Laxatives are a type of medication that people use to relieve constipation. Sometimes, people without constipation take laxatives in the belief that these drugs will help them lose weight.

Using laxatives for weight loss is not safe or effective. There are other, more healthful ways to lose weight and maintain a desired body weight.

In this article, we look at whether laxatives aid weight loss. We also discuss the safety of using laxatives for weight loss, alternative weight loss strategies, and when to see a doctor.

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That while some people mistakenly believe that taking laxatives will prevent their body from absorbing calories, it is an unsafe and ineffective strategy.

Laxatives treat constipation by softening the stool or stimulating bowel movements. People may assume that passing more stools will lead to weight loss.

However, although people may feel “lighter” temporarily, there is no evidence to support the use of laxatives as a safe or effective weight loss method.

The Effects Of Laxative Overuse And Misuse On The Stomach

The temporary weight loss that people may experience from taking laxatives is actually due to water loss. Losing water is not the same as losing body fat.

Many laxatives work by helping the gut absorb more water from the body or keeping water in the gut around the stool. This water softens the stool, making it easier to pass. It may also cause diarrhea, which is very watery stool.

As this additional water passes out with the stool, a person may weigh less after using laxatives. However, this effect is only temporary.

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Laxatives do not reduce body fat or promote long-term weight loss. Even at high doses, stimulant laxatives, which encourage the movement of stool through the digestive tract, have only a “

Many laxatives are available over the counter for the treatment of constipation. Misusing laxatives for weight loss may cause the following side effects:

People usually use laxatives to relieve constipation. If a person takes laxatives when they are not constipated or uses them too frequently, these drugs may cause diarrhea.

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Osmotic laxatives draw water from the body into the gut to soften stool. Taking too many osmotic laxatives or taking them too frequently may cause dehydration.

Taking laxatives can result in an electrolyte imbalance. Certain types of laxative may cause the body to absorb high amounts of electrolytes such as sodium and phosphorus from the gut. Some laxatives can also lead to low blood levels of potassium, magnesium, or calcium.

An electrolyte imbalance may cause weakness and an abnormal heart rhythm. In severe cases, having an electrolyte imbalance can be life threatening.

Can Taking Laxatives Everyday Make Me Lose Weight Faster?

Some laxatives can stimulate muscles in the gut, helping them promote the movement of stool through it. Taking any stimulant laxatives too frequently may cause dependency.

More research is necessary on this effect, but some experts believe that the gut may become increasingly dependent on stimulation. As a result, it may eventually stop moving food along the digestive tract of its own accord.

Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce risk factors for major health problems, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. However, it is vital to lose weight in a safe and sustainable way.

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Sometimes, trying to lose weight can adversely affect a person’s physical and mental well-being. Trying to address a negative self-image through weight loss without any mental health strategies can make things worse.

For some people, unsuitable weight loss strategies can progress into an eating disorder. Signs and symptoms that can indicate an eating disorder include:

It is possible to have a couple of these symptoms without having an eating disorder. However, anyone concerned that they or someone they know may have an eating disorder should speak to a doctor.

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Taking laxatives for weight loss is not a safe strategy. For most people, drastic and restrictive dieting does not work in the long term.

Anyone who thinks that they may need to lose weight can find out from a doctor whether this is necessary for their health. The doctor can advise a person on what the best weight range is for them. This range will depend on their height and body type, among other factors.

Using laxatives for weight loss is not safe or effective. If a person weighs less after taking laxatives, this is likely to be due to water loss.

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Water loss from laxative use is temporary and is not the same as losing body fat. Laxatives do not reduce body weight in the long term.

Eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly may help a person reach their desired weight. However, they should speak to a doctor about whether weight loss is necessary for their health before starting a new diet or exercise regimen.

Weight loss is only beneficial for a person’s well-being when it is necessary, and they do it safely. Anyone experiencing issues with their body image should seek support from a doctor, who can help them access the right support.

Best Laxatives For Weight Loss

Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.One consequence of this can be weight loss – and a study last year of 13, 000 people by Pediatrics found that dieters are increasingly turning to these small pills. The study found that 10.5pc of males aged 23 to 25 and 5.5pc of females within the same age group have used laxatives to try to lose weight.

They may be misguided in doing so. Using laxatives for weight loss is like playing with fire, according to Nigel Denby, a dietitian specialising in treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome. And The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) agrees,  calling the overuse of laxatives for weight loss the “The Laxative Myth” – because, quite simply, it doesn’t work.

The reason? Laxatives act on the large intestine, long after most food and calories have already been absorbed by the small intestine.

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“The ‘weight-loss’ caused by a laxative-induced bowel movement contains little actual food, fat or calories, explains the association. Instead, laxatives encourage the loss of water, minerals, electrolytes and indigestible fiber and wastes from the colon.”

“There are three main types of laxatives, ” dietitian Nigel Denby explains. “Some help to soften the stools and make them easier to pass. Others bulk the stool up by adding fibre, which again makes waste easier to pass out of the body.

Then there are also laxatives which help to stimulate the gut muscles to do their job to move waste along the large intestine and out of the body.”

Laxatives For Weight Loss: Are They Safe?

In a word? No. “Using laxatives to obtain a flat stomach is crazy, ” says Nigel. “Of course, if you’ve been constipated, you’re definitely going to feel more comfortable once you’ve been to the loo.

You might also find that opening your bowels relieves trapped wind and bloating but it won’t aid weight loss and routinely taking them is very dangerous.”

You may have read reports of people feeling ‘skinnier’ or having a flatter stomach after taking laxatives but this is purely down to a loss of water weight, which will immediately return once the body is rehydrated.

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“Laxatives can lead to the body losing a lot of fluid, and with it, a lot of important electrolytes, ” says Nigel Denby. These electrolytes control systems and functions in the body - including vital organs and your heart beat.  “When your electrolytes are out of balance, you can feel very ill and in extreme cases, it can be fatal.”

Because laxatives encourage a loss of water, users are at risk of dehydration. Severe dehydration can cause tremors, feelings of weakness, blurry vision, fainting and in extreme cases, untimely death.

“The body can become resistant to laxatives so if you’re overusing them, you’ll have to increase the dosage, ” says Nigel. This can lead to laxative dependency. This is when the colon stops reacting to usual doses so larger amount are needed to produce bowel movements. In turn, this can lead to long lasting health problems, even after laxatives stop being used.

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“We all have occasional periods when we struggle to maintain our natural digestive rhythm– this might be when we are travelling, unwell and not so active or if we are feeling particularly stressed.

For these odd occasions it’s fine to take a laxative. For some people who don’t or can't eat a lot fibre, regular use of fibre supplement laxatives can be helpful. It’s really important to drink plenty of fluid when using these sorts of products, as the fibre needs the fluid to make it swell, allow air into the stools thus making them soft and easier to pass. Taking additional fibre without extra fluid can make you feel even more constipated.”

Healthy, sustainable weight loss takes time. Drastic measures such as crash and fad diets or overuse of laxatives are unsafe and often unsustainable. Visit your GP if you’re struggling to lose weight and read up on professional tips on weight loss.Everyone I seemed to be following - the skinny bronzed girls - were all just flogging it at the

Laxatives For Weight Loss: Why They Are Not Safe Or Effective