Every bride-to-be wants to look great on her wedding day. And there is no shortage of fitness, diet, and style professionals who would like to capture a chunk of the average $26,500 wedding budget.
From “bridal bootcamps” to bride-to-be spa packages, engaged women are encouraged to spend money, time and effort to dramatically alter their appearance and look especially thin and fit on their wedding day.
The pressure to be “perfect” is immense but the latest trend diet to get that way, the K-E diet, may be going too far. The K-E diet promises to help women shed up to 20 pounds in 10 days, a feat normally not achievable or advisable by most experts.
The diet does this because instead of relying on the woman to count calories or exercise vigorously, a feeding tube is inserted in her nose for up to 10 days. The women carry a food solution around like a purse that is attached to the feeding tube.
The solution is a constant drip of protein, fat and water that is equal to 800 calories per day and contains no carbohydrates. It is delivered directly to their stomachs and causes them not to feel hunger.
The women are advised not to eat anything for the 10 days they are on the program. The patients are under a doctor’s supervision but are not hospitalized for the duration of the diet.
Dr. Oliver Di Pietro of Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, is an advocate of this diet which has been popular in Europe for years, though it only recently has come to the United States. Dr. Di Pietro says there are few side effects beyond bad breath and some constipation because there is no fiber in the food solution.
He charges women $1,500 for the 10 day program. Since the average wedding gown in 2011 was almost $1,300, it is understandable that once it is purchased a bride-to-be will do just about anything to get into it.
Critics of the K-E diet warn that the weight loss is not permanent and will come back. Understanding the lure of rapid, “easy” weight loss, many doctors say it is just not healthy and could be dangerous.
There are also some emotional and psychological complications that could come up during a program like this. Psychoanalyst Bethany Marshall of Beverly Hills, California is worried about these complications.
Marshall told ABC News, "If you lose the weight too quickly your mind is not going to be able to catch up with a newer, skinnier you".
Sources:
Wedding Industry Statistics 2011 American Wedding Study Brides Magazine. Wedding Industry Statistics. Web April 16, 2012.
http://weddingindustrystatistics.com/bridal-industry/wedding-industry-statistics-2011-american-wedding-study-brides-magazine
The K-E Diet: Brides-to-Be Using Feeding Tubes to Rapidly Shed Pounds. ABC Good Morning America. Web April 16, 2012.
http://gma.yahoo.com/k-e-diet-brides-using-feeding-tubes-rapidly-080053646--abc-news-health.html
Reviewed April 16, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith