Starvation Vacations Gain in Popularity with Women

There’s extreme dieting and then there’s extreme dieting at the hardcore resorts where people go for a so-called “starvation vacation.” Their official name isn’t that, but the fact remains that these places are becoming increasingly popular with women looking for quick weight loss.

The working principle of these resorts seems to be the same that made juice cleanses so popular: by starving the wealthy clientele and having them work out for hours on end each day, they detox, lose weight and completely change their relationship with food.

Whether that last part is entirely a good thing is still debatable, the Daily Mail says.

Starvation vacations offer a wide range of choices for the slimmer: they can be low-calorie, focused on workouts and lasting up to a month, or they can be short breaks of just a few days (no more than 4), during which nothing but lemon water with cayenne pepper is consumed.

They’re also very exclusive, very expensive, sometimes very boring and certainly a challenge for anyone but the most determined dieter.

“‘Starvation vacation’ is certainly not the label used by the exclusive resorts offering this service. They prefer detox retreat, ‘results-oriented wellness program’ or ‘opportunity for total rejuvenation’,” the Mail says.

What they all have in common is the lack of food: slimmers are served at best 1,500-calorie meals a day, and at worst the aforementioned concoction of water, lemon and pepper.

Depending on the length of the program, results may vary from quick weight loss to a complete change in eating habits, which happens because of the low calorie intake and lots of hours spent working out.

The big honchos running these private resorts claim weigh loss is not the main goal, but detoxing or, if the program is longer, the need to boost the metabolism by eliminating all foods that are bad for the body.

Some of these programs even claim to bring clarity of mind, better skin and hair and, of course, a definite improvement in one’s physical condition.

“On my first visit, I lost 15lb in three weeks. For months afterwards I felt fabulous. Don’t get me wrong – it was absolutely no fun. There’s nothing to do. After a couple of days you’re so tired and emotional you go to bed early. But the results are worth it,” one PR woman from London tells the Mail.

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