Summer has come in full swing. And you know what that means – it’s swimsuit season.

It’s that wonderful time of the year when people go on a tropical getaway and flaunt their summer-ready body on the beach. It’s also that time of the year when slimming pills, laxatives, and other “instant weight loss” products sell like pancakes.

It’s quite alarming how the obsession with getting slimmer and sexier as quick as possible encourage many people to try crazy and potentially dangerous weight loss methods. People subject themselves to starvation, extreme exercise, and other life-threatening procedures to look their best in revealing clothes.

Little did they know that while they look and feel lighter and thinner now, these things can backfire and cause serious health concerns in the long run.

1. Purging With Laxatives and Diuretics

The act of “removing toxins from the body” does help with achieving a flatter belly – but it is merely from water and stool weight loss. Diuretics also called “water pills”, are drugs that increase the production and excretion of water in the form of urine. Laxatives, like diuretics, discharge weight in the form of stool.

These drugs are not without their side effects especially when they are abused. While you feel lighter, these drugs actually mess with your natural body systems and lead to serious complications. Some effects include dehydration, constipation, abdominal pain, and electrolyte imbalance.

Eventually, you’ll begin retaining water, making you look and feel bloated (not fat), and this marks the beginning of the cycle of depending on these drugs to combat water retention. Bowels can also be permanently damaged

One last thing: They have little to no effect on actual weight loss. When taking laxatives, the food and calories you consumed have already been absorbed in the small intestine before the drug begins to function.

2. Self-Induced Vomiting

Another unhealthy form of purging is self-induced vomiting. Not only you are depriving your body of nutrients; you also injure yourself with your own acid.

The acid in the stomach, which is needed to prepare the food for digestion and absorption, is strong. That said, it’s intended to stay in the stomach. When regurgitated into the throat and mouth when vomiting, the high-acid content of vomit can lead to erosion of the esophagus, mouth, and tooth enamel. These effects increase the risk of certain cancers in the digestive system and tooth decay.

Some folks, like Bulimia Nervosa patients, worsen the condition by taking Ipecac syrups, which are only meant to induce vomiting for poisonings. One dose can trigger cardiac irregularity which can lead to heart attack and death.

3. Taking Weight Loss Tablets

Weight loss tablets like slimming pills and diet supplements are the most common attempt at losing weight rapidly. Some medications are prescribed by doctors, while others can be easily obtained over-the-counter. These medications work by suppressing appetite, reducing absorption of nutrients, and increasing fat burning.

What many people don’t know is that these pills carry a variety of serious side effects including fatigue, dizziness, headache, blurred vision, vomiting, high blood pressure, nervousness, hyperactivity, tightness in chest, and palpitations. When overdosed, they can even trigger a heart attack and stroke, which may lead to death.

Unfortunately, some people take diet pills without any medical supervision out of desperation. Others even buy diet pills online and risk their lives on seemingly positive yet unreliable reviews.

4. Smoking

Young adults smoke as a weight loss strategy. While it’s true that the nicotine content suppresses appetite, the negative effects of smoking outweigh the benefits.

We all know how bad smoking is – it affects not only the lungs and heart but nearly every organ of the body. Additionally, weight gain is a side effect when smokers try to quit the habit.

5. Crash Dieting

Diet. If you don’t do it right, the first three letters might come back to haunt you.

Living on less than a thousand calories per day by eating nothing but a bowl of cabbage soup is a surefire way to punish your body. Yes, slashing calories leads to massive weight loss but you’re also depriving your body of the nutrients it needs.

An extremely-low calorie diet puts your body on starvation mode. It can backfire, especially when done for more than a couple of days. Firstly, it causes a loss of precious muscles and a shift toward a higher percentage of body fat. Secondly, it messes up with your body’s system and slows down your metabolism, which then leads to weight gain. Lastly, it weakens your immune system, making your body vulnerable to dehydration, palpitations, and even heart attacks.

What’s more alarming is crash dieters are more likely to consult their friends and other strangers online than a nutritionist. Unless prescribed by a medical professional, do not cut calories below 1,200 per day.

6. Extreme Exercising

Exercise is good for you – until you begin to include the word “extreme” in the phrase.Too much of anything will kill you. When you engage in intense workouts in hours for days, it can increase the risk of injury, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalance. The worst part is extreme exercise and crash dieting often come hand in hand, as exercise is often seen as a “punishment” for eating.

You need to allow your body to fully recover between workouts. Instead of wearing out yourself in intense yet unhealthy routines, The American College of Sports Medicine and American Heart Association suggest getting at least 30 minutes of moderate cardio training five days a week, or 20 minutes of vigorously intense cardio workout three days a week. In addition, strength-training exercises that work all the major muscle groups should be done two to three times a week.

Health is wealth. Be kind to your body for you only have one.

Author Bio: Carmina Natividad is a daytime writer for Fitbiz, a retail shop dedicated to providing a large selection of exercise equipment for fitness enthusiasts in Australia. She shares friendly tips on health, fitness, and self-improvement.