Just like poor people are looking for the holy grail to get rich quick, overweight people are looking for the holy grail to lose weight fast. While there may be a few ways to lose weight fast, most of the time the effect is short lived or carry some significant amount of risk.

One common method to lose weight fast is through starvation. This does not mean going for hunger strike for a few days. Instead, some people will eat only one meal per day and drink milk or water for the rest of the day. Some other may consume only liquid food for all their meals.

The weight loss effect from starving is usually very short. No one can go on starving forever. Once a normal diet is resumed, the weight seems to pile up faster than before. In addition, starving deprived the body of the essential vitamins and minerals it need to function properly, which can have a deadly side effect if it is done on a long term basis.

Another way to lose weight fast is to induce vomiting after a meal. Again, this method can produce short-term weight loss but it is actually very bad for health. In the long run, this method can lead to anorexia nervosa, which can be very deadly if not treated early.

Taking weight loss medication is another popular choice. However, medications that help you lose weight fast generally has some undesirable side effects, such as oily stools, headache or giddy spells. They may not be life threatening but it cause some embarrassing or inconvenient moments for you.

Always consult your doctor before taking weight loss medication. What works for other may not work you.
Some weight loss drugs are so potent that they can damage your internal organs (such as liver) when consume on a regular basis.

Finally, you can consider weight loss surgery such as liposuction. While surgery can indeed help you lose weight rapidly, it is also the most risky. The chances of getting serious side effects or life threatening complications are much higher. Surgery should not be a consideration unless your life is at risk because of your weight.

Exercise is still one of the best way to lose weight. It may not be as fast as those methods discussed earlier but it is the safest. Couple with the a diet consisting of more fruits and vegetables, you can achieve your the weight loss goal in a reasonable short period of time. And the effect is usually long lasting.