[yunwal]

> It absolutely can

It can’t. There are many people who, if they simply scaled down their diet without otherwise modifying their nutrient intake/lifestyle, start having health problems well before they lose weight. Hot flashes, fainting, severe stomach pains, nausea.

[HyperSane]

This sounds false to me. I suppose for someone used to eating 10 to 20 thousand calories per day suddenly going to 1500 would be stressful but if gently tapered no one should have any issues.

[yunwal]

I mean the obvious counterexample is someone who eats 1500 calories of real food and 2500 calories of junk food a day. If you scale that down by half you start getting all sorts of nutrient deficiencies well before hitting your target weight.

But there are subtler versions of this. People who live in food deserts, only have access to iceberg lettuce and freezer-burned tomatoes as produce are gonna have a tough time getting all the nutrients they need in 2000 calories or less. There’s also others who have very specific dietary needs that they’re not yet aware of.

[nindalf]

What's the issue with iceberg lettuce?

[yunwal]

Nothing wrong with it but it’s pretty devoid of nutrition compared to other greens.