wedding dress

Going to Extremes: The Feeding Tube Diet

Every bride wants to look good in her wedding dress. When I got married recently, I did my best to work out and eat healthy beforehand. But would you go to the extreme of having a feeding tube inserted to deliver a zero-carb diet of 800 calories a day? Some women are doing just that.

It’s called the K-E diet, K-E for Ketogenic Enteral Nutrition. A doctor inserts a tube through the patient’s nose, down the esophagus and into the stomach, and a liquid food replacement is dripped through the tube. Body fat is burned off through a process called ketosis, caused by a lack of carbs. The price of the 10-day diet—around $1,500—is extreme, like the diet itself. But the real cost may be to your health.

If it sounds too good to be true, it is

Crash diets in general can have a variety of negative short-term effects. People eating very low-calorie diets often report “fatigue, hair loss, dizziness,” says Sharecare expert Dr. Dean Ornish, and are at an “increased risk for gallstones and acute gallbladder disease.” Also, eating so few calories actually slows your metabolism.

But the K-E diet may pose other dangers.

“Ketosis can kill,” says Sharecare expert Dr. Michael Roizen. “It isn’t pretty and doesn’t make you look pretty; ketosis smells bad, too. The original perpetrator of the ketotic diet was an undertaker—ironic but true. So don’t try this K-E diet at home or in the hospital. You make look great afterward, but why risk being buried in your wedding gown?”

Slow and steady wins the race

There are easier ways to shed pounds and keep them off—without harming your health. Sharecare expert Dr. Mehmet Oz offers these tips to lose weight:

1. Stick to the principles of the Mediterranean Diet.
2. Cut your carbohydrates in half.
3. Double your vegetables.
4. Replace sugary snacks with fresh fruit.

If you want to slim down for a wedding, plan ahead. That way, you can shed 1 to 2 pounds a week—a healthy goal—and feel like yourself on your wedding day.

Would you consider using a crash diet to lose weight? Let us know in the comments box below.

Join the largest health conversation in 140 characters or less! Tweet what you want to talk about to @SharecareNow and let’s start chatting!

File under: In the News

Contributor

Rachael Anderson

Rachael Anderson is an Associate Editor and Web Producer at Sharecare. Before joining the team Rachael spent 5 years at CNN where she produced and edited video and blog content for CNN.com. Favorite exercises: Ashtanga yoga, rock climbing and hiking

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Comments

  1. Vickie Rakich

    Would I consider going on a “Crash Diet” to the extremes of having a feeding tube into my nostrils into my stomach to lose weight. Can you hear me now? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!

    April 18th, 2012, 3:00 pm
  2. Vickie Rakich

    Would I consider going on a “Crash Diet” to the extremes of having a feeding tube into my nostrils into my stomach to lose weight. Can you hear me now? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!! When I was in my teens I had a problem with starving myself until I felt like I was euphoric. When I was 25 I had a pain in my chest after a good run, in the middle of eating what looked like sponges for breakfast. Wheat biscuits floating in skim milk. I weighed 95Lbs at the time. I landed flat on my face in front of my bed with severe chest pains. The next thing I knew I was in on a dark roadside right inside of a vegetable garden. It seemed like a dream, the ground began to rumble like an earthquake, with a loud voice raised saying,”You committed Suicide!” I saw myself, I said “No I didn’t! The voice repeated even louder the ground shuddered with the words again, “You committed Suicide!!!” A man in a shroud walked up to me holding out his hand, I took it and he helped me up. He told me to follow him. I followed him to a beautiful garden where the birds were chirping and singing, I heard the voices of angels in chorus. In the garden he had me sit with him and I was asked to listen and not speak. He had a white shroud on, the sun seemed to reflect from him. He told me I had no right to withhold food or drink from his temple. He also told me I belonged to him and no other. Even though it seemed so dream like what was taking place seemed so real. He laid his hand upon my shoulder while he spoke to me. Then, he told me he was going to send me home because my mother would be needing me, as he would soon be bringing my father to heaven. I then asked him to let me stay and my father live. He told me that it was not my choice to make. He told me to learn of HIM well, so that others may grow and tell. I checked HIS hands and feet. The scars were there. The next thing I knew, I awoke on my bed with tears of joy in my eyes. The following spring, my father died. Since then, I have never withheld food or drink from my body. Jesus healed me, even if it may have been a dream. Education is the key, quoting Oprah Winfrey – Knowledge Is Power. I so believe this. Thank You Dr Oz. for teaching your viewing audience about food and nutrition. Also, for having a heart that reaches out to those who need to take off weight or put it back on in good perspective.

    April 18th, 2012, 3:27 pm
  3. Lindsey

    I was 180 lbs when I got married, and had wanted to lose weight for the big day, but my husband put things into perspective for me. He said he didn’t care what size dress I wore. He wasn’t in love with my weight; he was in love with who I was as a person.

    April 18th, 2012, 8:01 pm
  4. carla

    I saw this on tv, and I wouldn’t do it. I’ve tried a lot of diets but this one is disgusting. Why would you want to walk around with a tube in your face.

    April 18th, 2012, 8:27 pm
  5. Nance

    I would never try this diet–it’s just nuts. My mother and I used to try all kinds of dumb diets–like the dehydration diet of the ’60s. The kicker? Neither of us was overweight.

    May 8th, 2012, 1:41 pm
  6. Adriana

    WOW! Vickie what a profound dream, how real it must have felt…… your correct we are the temple of God and we should take care of ourselves. This diet is extreme, if people would just take time to eat right and excercise, they would lose the weight nothing is impossible….. impossible is limits you set for yourself remove the limits and watch yourself reach what you thought was impossible.

    May 8th, 2012, 2:46 pm
  7. Claire

    No, I would not use a crash diet and especially not one that involves putting a tube through my nose for $1,500! There is no secret to losing weight. We all know that eating right and exercising are the key to losing weight naturally and effectively. Crash diets only decrease your metabolism and you end up gaining the weight back later. I eat cereal and fruit for breakfast, have a handful of nuts a half hour before lunch and eat a salad with variety of vegetables for lunch. For dinner I eat chicken or fish and broccoli. A glass of red wine with dinner or something chocolate for desert. I try to eat more in the more in the beginning of the day and less toward the end. I walk the dog twice a day every day and bicycle for 5-6 miles 3-4 times a week. When I stick to this regimen, I am healthy and feel great. When I start to indulge in drinks, eating out and eating fried foods, and skip exercising, that’s when the pounds come back on and I feel crummy. We all know what it takes, we just need the dicipline.

    May 8th, 2012, 4:02 pm
  8. Heather

    I have 11 LBS left to lose, Would i go on a crash diet or go to extremes NO i would not.
    I want to do this the normal sane way just watch what i eat and exercise.

    May 8th, 2012, 7:05 pm
  9. Judy

    I would use it but just for a short time. I have 50 lbs to loose and need a breast reduction seriously. I have not been able to do it on my own and want the reduction soon. I know how risky it is but if I do it for just 3 month I can have the operation.

    May 8th, 2012, 11:49 pm
  10. Tam Harwell

    I had a nasal gastric tube placed into me after a severe crash when a drunk driver almost killed me. It was a terrible feeling. Those tubes should only be used in medical situations, not in the name of vanity! If someone wants to eat just 800 calories (not recommended!) they can do that–it doesn’t require an NG tube! As far as crash diets…I have started Weight Watchers–losing weight is all about a lifestyle change for the rest of your life. Nit a quick fix.

    May 9th, 2012, 8:46 am
  11. Stephanie

    After watching a family member go through Cancer and had a required feeding tube to survive I have to say this is the dumbest “diet” I have ever seen. Just be grateful you can eat are fat and alive.

    May 9th, 2012, 1:02 pm
  12. Rose Mincher

    I would never do this to myself. It is way past extreme into insane. I know a girl in highschool who decided to eat only celery and green peppers for the month before prom. the amount she was eating didn’t even add up to 800 calories. she drove into on coming traffic a week before prom after passing out behind the wheel. My friend didnt make it to prom or even to graduation. All to fit in a size 4 dress because she couldn’t afford to have it altered and her parents refused to get her another dress even though it was steroids for a medical condition that caused her to gain the weight and not something she did on purpose. Losing wieght is not worth your life.

    May 9th, 2012, 1:10 pm
  13. Melissa Wagner

    I think this is the most disgusting thing that I have ever heard of!!! There are people in this world who have to live every day with a feeding tube in place just to survive and I think it’s sad that any doctor in their right mind would put a feeding tube in any patient just to be used as a way to lose weight.

    May 9th, 2012, 8:48 pm
  14. Sharon

    Can you let me know which doctors will do this? Cuz I want to avoid ever being their patient. Scary.

    July 17th, 2012, 9:49 pm

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