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Fad Diets

We are constantly bombarded with ‘fad’ diets, and just about every week there is a new diet promising incredible results with little effort and more often than not endorsed by a celebrity! We have the Popcorn diet, the Russian Airforce diet, the Palaeolithic diet, the Hollywood Weekend Turbo diet, The Cabbage Soup diet. Advertising that promotes these diets is often very convincing, drawing you in and making you believe that it is not only easy but also glamorous to follow the diet. This guide is designed to help you spot a fad diet.

So what are fad diets, and do these diets work?

Fad diets are a common name for quick fix diets; diets which promise unrealistic weight loss. In some cases there is an initial weight loss due to a restriction in calorie intake, although this weight loss is usually temporary. These types of diets can be harmful to your body. More often than not, fad diets only allow you to eat certain foods, some even eliminate entire food groups. Consequently, not enough vitamins and minerals are provided. Not getting enough vitamins and minerals in the foods you eat can lead to problems like anaemia (low iron in your blood) and osteoporosis (a condition that causes your bones to break easily).

Maintaining and sustaining a fad diet is generally hard to do and once you stop following one, you will probably gain back the weight you lost. Even worse, some people end up weighing more than what they did before starting the diet!

So, how can I spot a fad diet?

  • Does this diet promise that you will lose an unrealistic amount of weight in a short amount of time? For example: ten pounds in one week.
  • Is this diet very low in calories & does it have a very restrictive meal plan?
  • Are some foods completely off-limits?
  • Does this diet recommend particular wonder foods, fat burning foods (or even worse.. pills!)?
  • Does this diet say that you do not have to exercise?

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you have probably spotted a Fad Diet! There is very little evidence behind most fad diets, and if you hear recommendations that seem too good to be true, then they probably are.

Are there healthier ways to manage weight?

Yes! There are much healthier ways to manage weight than trying to follow a fad diet. We lose weight by burning more calories than we take in. The best way to lose weight is to follow a nutritionally balanced meal, (as explained by the EATWELL PLATE) combined with regular exercise. Weight loss should be steady and at a reasonable rate. Guarantees are not possible with weight loss, everybody is different and will lose weight at different rates.