Health Tip: Dangerous Dieting

(HealthDay News) -- The right way to diet and lose weight is slowly, over time, and while eating a balanced diet with plenty of healthy foods, the American Heart Association says.

Diets that encourage eating only one type of food or encourage rapid weight loss can be dangerous to your health.

The association offers this list of the possible risks posed by fad diets:

Nutritional deficiencies caused by a lack of a balanced diet.

Lack of physical activity from emphasis on diet only can increase the risk of heart disease.

Lack of variety in foods can cause boredom and frustration, and make it difficult to maintain the diet for more than a brief period.

Severe restrictions on the foods you can eat may make it difficult to establish and maintain a healthy diet in the future.

Many quick weight-loss diets are based on unfounded claims that may do more harm than good.