Consuming more fat to slim down is the new trend in city

 Being on a strict diet is considered synonymous with consuming more vegetables, less fat and less red meat.

While most diets focus on less calories and low fat, a ketogenic diet breaks all notions about fat and makes even diet food tasty. From celebrities to professionals and students, the keto fad is catching up in the city.

“I lost about 5 kilograms in a month. The diet makes me feel confident,” said 23-year-old Priya (name changed), who has been following the ketogenic diet for the past three months.

She added, “I was about 98 kilograms. Now, I have come down to around 80 kilogarms.”

Ketogenic diet & weight loss

The diet, which is also known as Low Carb, High Fat (LCHF), prescribes the consumption of food which contains high fat and less protein and carbohydrates. According to dietitians, a normal body requires about 60 to 70% carbohydrates, 15 to 20% protein and about 10 to 15% fat. In a ketogenic diet, the practitioner is advised 75% fat consumption where the energy is consumed from excess fat and not from carbohydrates and proteins which is the normal trend.

 A high fat and moderate protein diet makes the liver turn to body fat for energy production. The body is dependent on ketones for energy, which is released from the liver after oxidising stored body fat. This helps in weight reduction as the fat stored in the body is being consumed for energy. The diet uses saturated fat such as coconut oil, walnuts, butter, almonds, paneer etc.

Although ketogenic diet has gained popularity among youngsters, experts say the technique is not the normal way to lose weight.

According to Rinki Kumari, chief dietitian, Fortis Hospital, losing weight drastically is not natural. “It is ideal to lose weight slowly and up to three kilograms a month and not more,” she said.

“The diet is used to help control seizures in kids with epilepsy. We used to prescribe it for those kids and not for weight reduction,” said Karthika Selvi, chief dietitian, BGS Hospital.

She said the diet makes a person consume saturated fat in large amounts and less protein and carbohydrates, while the amount of fibre is also less in the diet. 

“There are chances that the person may get cholesterol. Most of the people follow the diet without proper consultation,” she said.

While speaking about the side effects of the diet, she said that in the initial stages, there is a sudden drop in blood glucose level, dehydration, fatigue, irritation etc. 

Experts suggest that it is important for practitioners to understand their body type and then take up a diet that suits their body.