Laxatives?

Is it dangerous, you ask? Ummm...yes. It's called Bulimia.

I had a friend do this too, it's not the fat, its just the food runs through and you don't digest as much of it. It can be dangerous and long term can make it difficult for you to be "regular" without taking something.

Your body can get hooked on the laxitives, and you'll never be able to go without them. So taking one at every meal is NOT a good thing! If you're looking to block fat, try Alli. At least that is what it's designed for (blocking fat, not as a laxative, lol).

Laxatives – Laxatives are the most common product used by those with the eating disorder bulimia. Misuse of these products can cause dehydration, an imbalance of electrolytes, bowel problems, pain and nausea in the stomach, and in the worst cases, death.

Encourage your friend to get professional help. It sounds like she has a serious problem. And don't start doing this yourself. Your life and health are too valuable.

Also, her body will still absorb the fat. If she wants something that prevents the body from absorbing fat, she can try Alli. But the side effects of that are even less pleasant. :P

Please encourage your friend to get help. Yes that is a form of bulimic behavior. Laxatives prevent the body from absorbing the fat in the food... they also prevent the body from absorbing THE FOOD in the food.

Please say something to her! This is life-threatening.

Tell her she could loose control of her movements

Not pretty or pleasant

you can lose weight from it. And it is bad for you. It is the same thing as bullemia. She is not only ridding herself of the fat she eats but every other nutrient she is taking in as well.

It is a form of purging in the opposite direction from the mouth. So, yes, it is bulimia. Soon, she'll never be able to shit on her own.

I used to do this. It is not good for you. At all.

There's a medication called Orlistat AKA 'Alli' this is a lipo inhibitor which prevents your body absorbing as much fat and it passes out in your stools. This is available to buy over the counter but responsible pharmacists insist that you have an BMI which classes you as obese in order to sell it to you. It helps as part of a calorie controlled diet so for every 2lb you lose Alli helps you to lose an extra 1lb. HOWEVER it is not a laxative , laxative abuse is very very bad for you.

Check with your friend what the product is exactly and speak to a pharmacist for advice so that if you need to confront her, you can do it with the correct evidence. Best of luck x

As everyone else said it is extremely unhealthy and is bulimia. Yes it gets rid of fat and the other nutrients that your body needs. Your body needs fat also! It does not take long for your body to become "addicted" to the laxatives, meaning without them the muscles will not contract and she will not be able to have a bowel movement. She will have to retrain her body to go to the bathroom without them, which can be time consuming. why doesn't she just watch what she eats?

Dangerous? Yes.
Of course, she is losing weight. She is forcing everything out of her body.
I have had eating disorders for most of my life. I took laxatives because I did not want any food to stick around in my body. It certainly didn't. I was up to 60 laxatives a day because one or two stops working. The down side is that there are side effects to doing this to your body.
If your friend doesn't want to absorb fat from food, Alli does the same thing, except she better carry around a couple extra sets of pants.
This is a serious problem.

I cannot emphasise enough how dangerous this habit is. I abused laxatives for years and at my worst, was taking up to 70 a day. It can turn into a very serious addiction. When anyone tried to stop me from getting hold of them, I was like a drug addict needing her next fix. Even when I was hospitalised for kidney failure, I still panicked without them. In fact, my kidneys failed 3 times, and I almost died before I stopped taking them. They should really not be sold so easily, as they seriously dehydrate you and upset electrolyte balance which can lead to heart failure.

I am lucky in that I must have the constitution of an ox, having survived going down to 70Ibs at 5'11, abusing laxatives as well as purging in other ways and heart failure. I am glad to report I have not touched a laxative now in about ten years and have a phobia of doing so. I instead eat prunes or drink a glass of prune juice to ensure I don't get bunged up, but I am fortunate, as my bowels are pretty regular.

However, it did mess up my digestive system enough that I constantly get bloat and gas from foods that did not affect me before.

This sort of habit can kill you very quickly, and she really does need to be made to realise this.

I have a friend, yes a real friend, not me, who takes laxatives before/after she eats. She said it stops her body from absorbing the fat from the food. She swears she has lost weight from it, but it can't be healthy. Considering she does this on a daily basis, isn't it dangerous?!

If she's ok with pooping her pants then I'd recommend using Alli instead of laxatives. It's over the counter and FDA approved for preventing fat from being absorbed into the body.