I really don’t recommend you to use the internet-famous “Copenhagen Weight Loss Method”!

For those who want to lose weight, as long as they hear about a method that can quickly lose weight, they want to try it. In recent years, the "Copenhagen Diet" has been very popular because it can quickly reduce weight in a short period of time, so it is favored by many obese friends.

However, in 2021, a girl in Hangzhou who was 160cm tall and weighed 108kg used the Copenhagen diet to lose weight. Although she lost a lot of weight, she was diagnosed with moderate fatty liver, which was related to her excessive dieting and malnutrition. #23-year-old girl lost 15kg in 3 months but got fatty liver#

▲Photo: Screenshot from Weibo

Is this weight loss method worth trying? Is it harmful to your health? In this article, we will take a look at the "Copenhagen Weight Loss Method".

1. What is the Copenhagen Diet?

Hearing this name, many people may think that this is a very high-end way to lose weight, and it should be recommended by some authoritative organization.

But it is not actually not authoritative!

I searched through major authoritative websites at home and abroad, such as the U.S. Library of Medicine, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the official website of the World Health Organization, the European Food Safety Authority... but I didn't find any information about the "Copenhagen diet".

Later, after checking some reliable popular science articles, I realized that the "Copenhagen Diet" is just a weight loss diet launched by a certain company. There is also a "Copenhagen APP/Mini Program" that contains a 13-day recipe.

It is written in the "Copenhagen Mini Program": This recipe originated from the Danish National Hospital and is mainly customized for obese patients (BMI over 30) undergoing heart surgery.

In other words, this is a diet that is a last resort for heart patients who need to quickly lose weight during surgery.

2. How about the 13-day Copenhagen diet?

It's basically dieting.

After carefully reading the 13-day diet menu in the Copenhagen mini program, I came to the conclusion that the extremely low-calorie diet with calories controlled below 800 kcal has no special features.

Moreover, the overall diet looks like a low-calorie, low-carb, high-protein diet, which is somewhat similar to the ketogenic diet. It is a disguised diet that can help people lose weight quickly in a short period of time, but if you stick to it for a long time, it will harm your health.

3. What are the dangers of long-term persistence?

① Extremely low-calorie diet: The Copenhagen diet is not only extremely low in calories, <800 kcal/day, but also accompanied by low carbon/extremely low carbon.

It increases the risk of all-cause mortality and, in the short term, raises LDL (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), a "bad cholesterol" that deposits on blood vessel walls and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. In addition, it can lead to kidney dysfunction and nutrient deficiencies.

▲Figure: China Obesity Prevention and Control Blue Book

② High protein: The core principle of the Copenhagen diet is extremely low calories and high protein. A high-protein diet is one that has a protein energy supply ratio of more than 20%, and the protein energy supply ratio of the Copenhagen diet is as high as more than 30%.

Although a high-protein diet in the short term has little effect on health, a long-term high-protein diet will increase the risk of all-cause mortality and should not be used for more than half a year. It is not recommended for the elderly, children, adolescents, pregnant women, and people with renal insufficiency.

In addition, although it seems very effective at the beginning and the weight loss speed is fast, if you stick to it for a long time, you will not only suffer from malnutrition, but also symptoms such as hair loss and reduced immunity. Women may also suffer from amenorrhea. The skin will also become loose and accelerate aging.

The most important thing is that no one can stick to this diet for a lifetime. When you return to a normal diet, you are likely to gain weight back and even become fatter than before you lost weight.

4. How should you eat to lose weight?

Even when losing weight, you must eat staple foods + fruits and vegetables + protein foods. You can use a large plate to measure the amount of food. This not only allows you to clearly know the amount of each food to eat, but also allows you to avoid overeating.

For each meal, staple food accounts for 1/4, vegetables account for 1/2, and protein food accounts for 1/4. Eat at least 1 fist of staple food, 1 to 2 fists of cooked vegetables, and about 1 fist of protein. Eat until you are 70% to 80% full.

▶Vegetables: 300-500 grams per day. 100 grams of green leafy vegetables is about the size of a fist after being cooked.

▶Protein: 40-75 grams of meat per day, no more than 150 grams at most (poultry, fish and shrimp are recommended, and less red meat). Three fingers worth of raw meat is about 50 grams. 300-500 milliliters of milk. If it exceeds 500 milliliters, it is recommended to choose skim milk. 25 grams of soy products corresponding to soybeans, such as two pieces of dried tofu, a piece of northern tofu the size of a mouse, or at least 40 grams of dried tofu.

▲80g dried tofu (about 9cm long and 1cm thick)

▶Fruit: 200-350 grams per day, such as two or three kiwis or one medium-sized apple or two oranges.

If there is light and low-salt vegetable soup, it is recommended to drink a bowl before the meal, or drink about 300 ml of water directly, which can enhance the feeling of fullness and avoid overeating.

5. Exercise cannot be ignored

If you want to lose weight, tighten your skin and improve your body shape at the same time, exercise is essential.

Both aerobic and anaerobic exercises should be done. It is recommended to do aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, such as brisk walking, jogging, aerobics, playing ball, square dancing, etc.; anaerobic exercise can be done 2 to 3 times a week, such as with dumbbells, elastic bands, push-ups, etc.

How to lose weight healthily without rebounding? Here is a diet plan for energy-restricted diet for your reference.

Further reading: 1200 kcal CRD weight loss diet is here!

Summary: The "Copenhagen Diet" sounds very high-sounding, but it is actually a "pseudo-concept". It is not recommended to use this method to lose weight in the long term. Even if there are special circumstances that require rapid weight loss, it should be done under the guidance of a professional doctor or nutritionist. It is not recommended to try it without authorization.

There are many unreliable weight loss methods circulating, don't step on the thunder! Don't trust all kinds of fancy weight loss methods, a balanced diet + moderate exercise is the best way to lose weight!

References:

[1] Chinese Nutrition Society. Blue Book on Obesity Prevention and Control in China[M]. Peking University Medical Press. 2019