Any attempt to lose weight as quickly as possible, involving dramatic restriction of calories over a few days to a few weeks. Crash diets often look attractive to those who have significant events (e.g., marriage, a beach trip, a holiday party) in the near future for which they want to change their body shape. Some crash diets recommend eating from a very short list of foods (all cabbage, for example).
Many crash diets are made popular by celebrities who seem to provide credibility to people desperate to lose weight. But any weight loss plan that is not based on healthy eating and reasonable exercise is a plan that is likely to result in weight gain once the diet ends. Worse, deprivation can set the stage for the development of a variety of eating disorders.
