Many people turn to various strategies in hopes of shedding pounds or improving their health, but medical professionals are now cautioning that one particularly widespread habit may cause more harm than good, especially for those who have crossed the 50-year mark. While it may not seem as extreme as some modern wellness trends, severely restricting food intake carries serious health risks that are often overlooked. Three family medicine doctors recently spoke to Parade about why this practice can backfire and what smarter alternatives actually look like.
The habit in question is fasting or drastically cutting calorie intake, a go-to strategy for millions of people trying to lose weight quickly. Dr. Brian Blank, a family medicine physician, draws a clear boundary between mindful eating and going too far. “Fasting goes beyond any reasonable limit when it begins to harm your daily functioning or your relationship with food,” he explained. He points to warning signs like dizziness, fainting, irritability, sleep disturbances, obsessive thoughts about food, and cycles of bingeing followed by restriction as clear indicators that someone has pushed the practice too far.
Dr. Barbara Bawer, another family medicine physician, reinforces this concern from a nutritional standpoint. “Although limiting calorie intake works to a degree, particularly in the early stages of weight loss, it frequently proves harmful over the long haul,” she said. Her core argument is straightforward: the body genuinely needs calories and nutrients to operate normally, and cutting too many of them creates a cascade of problems. “When you restrict key nutrients, you risk malnutrition, a weakened immune system, menstrual disruptions in women, and a broad hormonal imbalance,” she warned.
The stakes become even higher once a person reaches their 50s, and that is where doctors are most emphatic. “For people over 50, restricting food can be considerably more damaging because of accelerated muscle and bone mass loss, placing them at high risk for falls and fractures,” Dr. Bawer noted. Beyond the structural risks, inadequate nutrient intake also undermines immune function, making it harder for the body to fend off infections. Dr. Bawer added that when the body is deprived of sufficient fuel, it begins cannibalizing muscle tissue for energy, which triggers fatigue, irritability, cold sensitivity, constipation, anxiety, depression, and a host of additional complications.
Dr. Blank points out another layer of risk that is often ignored in older adults: many people over 50 take medications whose effectiveness depends on meal timing, and they are also more prone to dangerous dizziness episodes when they go too long without eating. Aggressively cutting food intake also makes it far harder to meet daily protein requirements, which in turn accelerates the age-related muscle loss already working against mobility and independence. Dr. Sarah Towne, a third family medicine physician contributing to the discussion, flags fad diets as a particularly extreme form of this problem. She says any diet that eliminates entire food groups is a red flag. “While you might drop a few pounds in the short term, these diets can be unhealthy and extremely difficult to maintain over time. Lasting changes and reducing health risks are what matter most,” she said.
Fortunately, all three doctors agree on a sensible path forward. The goal should be building eating habits that supply the body with everything it needs while remaining realistic and sustainable. Dr. Towne summarized it well: “Weight loss generally happens when you take in fewer calories than you expend. Eat in moderation and move more. Any approach that accomplishes this will likely work. The key is finding something sustainable that does not compromise your overall wellbeing.” Dr. Blank acknowledges that intermittent fasting can have merit for certain individuals. “Intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating can improve cardiometabolic markers such as weight, blood pressure, and insulin levels in some people, but the evidence is mixed on whether fasting is actually more effective than standard calorie reduction,” he noted. In other words, the same results can often be achieved through simply eating a bit less without the added physiological stress of prolonged fasting windows.
Dr. Bawer’s recommendation centers on introducing small, sustainable changes rather than dramatic overhauls, a view Dr. Blank wholeheartedly echoes. “Consistency matters more than intensity. The scale is not the only measure of success, especially after 50. The best plan is the one that improves your health markers, keeps you strong and energetic, and lets you live your life fully, not the one that demands iron willpower,” he said. It is also worth remembering that food is deeply tied to social connection and genuine enjoyment, things no one should have to give up in the name of a number on a scale.
From a broader health perspective, adults over 50 naturally experience a decline in muscle mass known as sarcopenia, a process that typically begins around age 30 but accelerates significantly after 50. Bone density also decreases with age, particularly in postmenopausal women, raising the risk of osteoporosis. Nutritional needs shift as well, with older adults generally requiring more protein, calcium, vitamin D, and B12 while metabolic rate slows. These physiological realities make the quality and consistency of food intake far more important in later decades than aggressive caloric restriction, which is precisely why medical professionals continue to push back against extreme dieting approaches for this age group.
Share your own experience with weight loss approaches after 50 in the comments.
