Practically every weight loss website out there has at least one (or one dozen) 1,200-calorie-a-day diet option. Even the National Institutes of Health has published a 1,200-calorie-a-day meal plan.

But the app's default recommendation of 1,200 calories a day for many users, regardless of body type or weight loss goal, could lead to side effects, according to a dietitian. Cutting calories too ...

An individual who does not perform in any physical activity will still require roughly 1,200 calories a day in order to maintain their body’s essential functions. These essential functions ...