By: Noel Le, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Chances are you have tried, or at least been tempted by, different fad
diets such as Intermittent Fasting, Keto, Paleo, or Juicing. According
to Boston Medical Center, 50% of the estimated 45 million Americans who
go on a diet annually follow a fad diet. The list of fad diets continues
to grow, and with this brings confusion on how to navigate what is actually
good for you and what can possibly leave you worse off than when you started.
How to spot a fad diet:
Fad diets employ weight-loss methods that are not based on sound nutrition
principles and promises dramatic results. Before starting a new diet,
it is important to examine a few key aspects of it. Here are some of the
characteristics that most fad diets share and can help you weed out the
good from the bad:
Quick fixes
Promoters of fad diets promise effortless, dramatic weight loss. This hope
of a quick fix is more attractive than the perceived effort required to
follow a healthy, balanced diet. In general, healthy weight loss is anywhere
between 1 to 2 pounds per week. Any more than this could lead to dangerous
health concerns and the weight loss you achieve is likely primarily from
water and muscle loss. Therefore, be wary of any diet that touts weight
loss more than the healthy amount. There is also a great deal of evidence
showing that people who lose weight gradually and steadily are more successful
at keeping the weight off.
Eliminates entire food groups
Most fad diets provide very specific guidelines on what you can or cannot
eat. Often, you are made to cut out carbohydrates, sugar, and/or fat to
severely restrictive amounts. The opposite could also occur, where the
diet recommends eating a specific food or food group in excess, such as
the Grapefruit diet or Cabbage Soup diet. Though, be warned, eating this
way can quickly lead to nutrient deficiencies. The short-term challenge
is attempting to stick to such a rigid eating plan, but the long-term
challenge is sustainable weight loss, for which you need to implement
a lifestyle change, and not just a momentary change. You want to ask yourself,
“Can I eat this way for the rest of my life?” and if the answer
is no, then that diet is not for you.
Requires purchasing specific products
According to Michigan State University, Americans are spending over $40
billion a year on weight-loss programs and products; this includes pills,
bars, shakes, and prepackaged diet food items. Not only are these products
expensive, but often they are overly processed and leave you feeling unsatisfied
and in a state of craving. This sets people up for failure when they ultimately
succumb to binging on the very foods they had been avoiding.
Lacks valid scientific evidence
The claims made by authors of fad diets often lack real scientific evidence
and published research in scientific journals to back them up. Rather,
they rely heavily on independent testimonials to support their claims.
These testimonials are anecdotal and are typically success stories, with
no failures reported. Furthermore, it can become difficult to discern
what is true and what is not when celebrity doctors are the ones providing
recommendations. This gives consumers the impression that their claims
must be reliable information. In one study review, a group of researchers
watched 40 episodes each, of the popular TV shows, The Doctors and The
Dr. Oz Show. They found that about half (53%) of the recommendations provided
on The Doctors was accurate while only 33% was accurate on The Dr. Oz
Show. Of these recommendations, nearly half of them lack evidence or make
claims that go against the most widely supported available evidence. Moreover,
it was rare that they would ever address potential conflicts of interest,
if there were any. Needless to say, when it comes to recommendations made
on medical talk shows, be skeptical of the information being presented.
Does not require exercise
Many of these diets claim you can lose weight without having to exercise,
but in reality, maintaining some degree of consistent physical activity
is extremely important for general good health. It is recommended that
you try to achieve 30 to 60 minutes of activity on most days. This can
sound daunting, but the easiest way to reach this goal is to find an activity
you enjoy, such as dancing, swimming, or joining a sports team. If you
are not at a point where you are able to commit to regular exercise, start
with simple ways to fit more physical activity into your day, such as
taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking further away. By
finding physical activities that you can consistently do each day combined
with healthy, lifelong eating habits, you will be on your way to long-term,
sustainable, healthy weight loss.
Dangers of fad dieting:
One misleading problem that you may face when assessing a fad diet is that
in the short-term, they can actually work and you may lose weight. The
issue is that the weight loss is often just that- short-term. While you
have lost weight using a fad diet, more often than not, the method to
do so was unhealthy, or maybe it was not a good fit to maintain your happiness
during the process. When assessing any kind of diet, it is important to
consider all aspects, including whether or not the methods you employ
are safe and healthy.
Fad diets are often not designed to be well-balanced. For this reason,
these plans tend to lack important nutrients such as dietary fiber, carbohydrates,
vitamins, minerals, and protective phytochemicals. While deprivation from
these nutrients may be easily overlooked for what appears to be successful
weight loss, this can lead to serious health issues years later. There
is recently discovered evidence by the American College of Cardiology
that a low-carb diet can increase your risk for developing A-Fib. This
stems from the fact that low-carb diets result in a decreased consumption
of grains, fruits, and vegetables. In addition to this, fad diets have
been linked to long term effects including heart disease, high blood pressure,
certain cancers, constipation, alteration of gut health, bone loss, and
chronic fatigue. Furthermore, yo-yo dieting has also been shown to increase
mortality due to the fluctuations in weight.
Takeaway:
While fad diets can sometimes result in fast weight loss, the overall process
is simply not sustainable in the long term. In 2019, both the American
Society of Nutrition and the American Diabetes Association concluded that
the most successful weight loss diet is the one that you can stick with
in the long run. Given this, there is not a one size fits all approach
to weight loss. No matter what you choose in the end, the most important
thing is to target developing good habits, a healthy diet, and building strength.
If you are interested in learning about how to lead a healthier lifestyle,
reach out to our Torrance Memorial Specialty Center for more information.
Start working with our Registered Dietitians one-on-one to find a realistic
and flexible eating style that will help you feel your best!
Noel Le, RDN • Registered Dietitian Nutritionist • (310) 891-6707