Fad Diets

You may want to lose weight or change your diet and lifestyle for many reasons. Summer is almost here, which is a common reason for most people. We would like to summarise where to lose and where not to lose weight because dieting should never be at the expense of your health or your relationship with food. Many diets promise quick weight loss today, but most can harm your health in the long run. These diets are often too restrictive, and the range of foods allowed to be consumed during the diet is often very narrow, resulting in a poor macro and micronutrient intake. Sometimes, one group of nutrients, most often carbohydrates, is 'demonized' by these diets, or hunger signals from the body are ignored, which can make weight loss cyclical. We usually regain the weight we lost several times after finishing such a diet. In the long term, they can cause a sense of failure, and we can quickly lose motivation.   

As tempting as the endless choice of 'quick fixes' and 'miracles' are, the promise of fast weight loss with minimal effort is often unrealistic and unsustainable. Moreover, most of the time, this rapid weight loss is not from fat tissue but from muscle and fluid loss. So it is not a healthy way to lose weight. Nowadays, we often see so-called 'lean obese' people in body composition tests who have a BMI in the lean or normal weight category but have a higher percentage of body fat than the allowed amount. These people are at risk of obesity-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease.   

Unfortunately, there is no magic solution for permanent weight loss. There is no such thing as a 'magic diet'. Long-term results can only be achieved through a balanced, personalized diet with adequate nutrient intake complemented by regular exercise.    

I'd like to give you a few pointers on how to recognize the diets you should avoid!   

They promise you a miracle cure for weight loss without changing your lifestyle. These include weight loss pills, creams, etc. 

Promising fast weight loss of more than 1 kg of body fat per week, such as keto, extreme or total fasting.     

Offer the magical fat-burning effects of foods such as the grapefruit diet or hidden ingredients in foods (caffeine/coffee diet) or alleged fat-burning substances such as green tea extract. 

Advocate the avoidance or strict restriction of a whole food group, such as dairy, total carbohydrates, or a staple food, such as wheat.  

Suggest replacing everyday foods or food groups with expensive supplements (e.g. intravenous vitamin drops).    

Mainly promote the consumption of one type of food (mono diet), e.g. the cabbage soup diet, the chocolate or the boiled egg diet. 

 Suggests that you are overweight or have a food allergy or yeast infection.    

"Recommends 'detoxification' or avoiding foods, e.g. in certain combinations with fruit.    

They are based on the claim that you can survive without food or by eating only liquid foods, such as water fasting or juice cleanses.     

Provide no supporting evidence other than personal success stories.     

They focus only on appearance rather than health benefits, with rigid rules.       

Contain recommendations based on a single study, testimonies or unrealistic amounts of food (e.g. chili).        

Are based on a "secret" that doctors have not yet discovered or "don't want you to know".    

Suggests that food can change the body's chemistry.    

Misinterpret medical tests or how the body works, such as the alkalizing or collagen diet.    

They are labelled as "wellness" but are about strict control of foods, e.g. clean eating.    

  

 Read more:  

Top six diet trends of 2022 (bda.uk.com)

Ditching the diet: Finding ways to rebuild a healthy relationship with food and our bodies (bda.uk.com)

Detox Diets (bda.uk.com)