Crash Dieters

I'm so sick of hearing people talk about their "diets".  Especially when those diets are crash diets and they are promoting them to their friends.  You can't survive on 500 calories a day...that's 2 powerbars (if even that) and a few ounces of powerade.  Do you think you could really do that?  Your heart has to beat-that takes calories.  Your muscles have to contract and relax for normal daily activities-that takes calories.  If they only knew how much they are screwing up their metabolism (the pathetic part is the physicians and other health care "professionals"-to be used in the loosest sense of the word- who are running these clinics or promoting and supporting these programs).  Whatever happened to people wanting to eat a healthy, balanced diet and couple it with exercise.  Try some lean meats, veggies, fruits, and water.....and EXERCISE!  You have to create a calorie deficit...you have to burn more calories than you consume, but starvation is no way to achieve this.  You might lose pounds quickly with your crash diet, but just remember that you've destroyed your metabolism and will probably gain back double.  It's not even remotely healthy to just eat 500 calories a day...what are these people thinking?  Ohhhh that's right....I want to be unrealistically skinny with zero muscle mass and never set foot in the gym or outside to get some exercise....nevermind the other stuff that might come along with that crash diet over the long term-a possibly weakened or whacked out heart, muscle atrophy, a screwed up metabolism, vitamin deficiency, hair loss, double weight gain once you can't starve yourself anymore, etc.  Not every plan is bad...there are well balanced ones that encourage calorie counting and awareness of what you are putting in your body.  Eating a grapefruit everyday for your one and only meal or 1 small piece of chicken a day as your only meal isn't going to cut it.