Talk:Very low calorie diet

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[edit] Capitalization

I think that the title should be Very low calorie diet because it is not a proper noun. See WP:CAPS. 75.26.11.133 02:00, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Citation really needed

The claim: "The body will break down fat, but it will also break down muscle and other lean body tissue which can be very dangerous." REALLY needs a citation, as this is one of those vague claims that has a tendency to perpetuate itself by being stated over and over again without any proof. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jcordone (talk • contribs) 16:43, 14 January 2008 (UTC)

I agree 100%. For all the claims of slowing down one's metabolism or the body breaking down muscle, I am having a really hard time finding evidence to support these claims. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.1.116.33 (talk) 00:16, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Several problems with the article

  • First of all, juice certainly isn't a low-calorie drink. I have removed that part from the introduction.
  • Secondly, do VLCD diets really require medical supervision? In Sweden, they are sold for use during two weeks without any supervision needed.
  • Thirdly, a producer of VLCD products claims the risk of gallbladder disease (specificially stones) is removed when the VLCD diet contains at least 7 grams of fat per day, which apparently is the requirement since several years (at least in Sweden). The current source for gallbladder issues is from 1992. Does anybody know of a newer source?
  • Fourthly, the part about setting up a bigger health risk once the diet is over seems strange. VLCD diets are intended to be used only for a certain time period. Also, the source is a blog article, not about any method in particular but rather dieting in general. It mentions excercise as the best weight loss method in conjunction with healthy eating. All VLCD products I have seen are intended to be used for a period to lose weight, in conjunction with excercise and a gradual taper to regular healthy food. If used as these products are intended, the blog article doesn't seem to really apply. It just seems very POV, very vague and very discouraging for people who use VLCD diets.
  • Fifthly, aren't VLCDs supposed to be nutritionally complete (see intro text)? If so, why does the article claim that the lack of essential nutrients will deteriorate hair and nails? Also, the talk about serotonin levels seems related to thinking VLCDs contain too little amino acids to produce enough serotonin, which also contradicts the intro text. Of course, osteoporosis and electrolyte imbalances are unsourced as well.

Any suggestions on what to do about the above points?

Where next Columbus? (talk) 22:19, 20 May 2008 (UTC)