MISLEADING INFO ON LAXATIVES

Nowadays, the nutritional information that we are able to access in popular medias—such as internet websites, newspapers, and magazines—is both favorable and disfavourable. Although we are able to find answers to many of our doubts concerning an specific topic regarding health and nutrition, not all of them are reliable. This is why we must be careful with what we read sometimes, and especially be careful with the source where we are reading the information from.

By reading unreliable articles about what we should or should not put in our bodies, and put their recommendations in practice, we are putting our health at risk. This article examines the misleading information found on an article published by a website called Weight Loss Tips, which is about the “benefits” of using laxatives (drugs which are medically used to treat constipation) for weight loss. Hopefully, reading this will reinforce that we do not have to believe everything we read, no matter how right they may sound. We must learn to read with responsibility.

The article posted by Weight Loss Tips suggests that laxatives are good for weight-loss by saying that they have “no side effect” and “burn calories”. This is false because first, laxatives don’t melt fat away; they clear food that wasn’t absorbed by the body. The pounds one loses is from water and waste in the colon, so you are basically un-bloating rather than burning fat. Secondly, using them release a lots of nutrients and one can dehydrate and feel weak as side effects. You can read the article here.

It is very unfortunate that this type of information is out there, available for teens. I only hope that they can read the counterarguments before coming to their conclusions. You can find a more asserted take on laxatives here.