One of the main concerns of people today is the fear of obesity. The media has influenced society in such a way that it degrades individuals who do not fit into a certain weight category. However, people go on a diet for many different reasons, they do sports to stay fit, to look better or simply to lose a few pounds. Due to the mass influence of the media on today's population, much of the public is attracted to widely advertised crash diets. A crash diet involves eating as little as possible to lose weight in a short period of time (Kedge & Wattson, 2009). All foods and drinks affect the body in one way or another and can be good or bad. Not getting enough or too much can have a negative impact on your body. Many popular diets such as the yo-yo diet and the Atkinson diet are two diets that can negatively affect the health of those who follow it. When it comes to these diets, yes, dieting is dangerous. The body needs a certain amount of nutrition to function in optimal condition and these crash diets do not provide it with enough food to reach the desired state. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a study in 2009 stating that 400,000 deaths per year occur due to a poor diet and lack of exercise (Boaz, 2009). Not only that, but as soon as the crash diet course is stopped, the weight lost so quickly is regained and this time even more excessively (Kedge & Wattson, 2009). The side effects of diets are not just limited to the person following the diet, but also extend to family members and friends who have to deal with grumpy, sick, or complaining dieters. Fad diets are diets that promise consumers quick weight loss results. These diets have become popular due to... paper ......gerous and should be avoided while a healthy lifestyle is more effective in losing and keeping off the weight lost by individuals. Works Cited Agadoni, L. (2011, August 10). Side effects of the Atikins diet. Retrieved from Livestrong: http://www.livestrong.com/article/517442-side-effects-of-the-atkins-diet/Boaz, C. (2009). Diet. United States of America: Greenhaven Press.Gale Encyclopedia of Diets, 2nd ed., Detroit: Gale, 2013, pp. 397-400.Gale Encyclopedia of Diets, 2nd ed., Detroit: Gale, 2013, pp. 1143-1147. Kedge, J., & Wattson, J. (2009). Diet. Chicago: Raintree.McNight, C. (2013, October 27). Health Risks of the Yo-Yo Diet. Retrieved from Livestrong: http://www.livestrong.com/article/353915-health-risks-of-yoyo-dieting/Reid, Gregor. "The microbes are coming." CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 9 August 2011: 1332. Science in Context.