Fad Diets Can Be Ineffective and Dangerous
Fad Diets Can Be Ineffective and Dangerous
The prevalence of obesity is nearing pandemic levels all over the world. As such, obese people, and those who think they’re overweight, are always trying various desperate measures to get in shape.
Many resort to fad diets and, before long, they realize their futility. Billions of dollars worth of sales are made each year from selling fad diets – often marketed as the ‘magic formulas’ – along with weight loss pills, exercise plans, and related products.
The true weight loss formula is pretty simple – or at least it appears to be: burn more calories than you consume. Of course, the body is an amazingly perfect balance machine too. As you slash calorie intake, it lowers the basal metabolic rate, to forestall starvation. Thus, this adds a new dimension to the weight loss formula.
If you want to achieve permanent weight loss, you should be able to manipulate your caloric and nutrient intake over the long term, without forcing the body into self-defence status to prevent other problems.
Fad diets are ineffective
Infomercials for the latest ‘magic diet’ are the craze in the media. Unfortunately, many people have fallen for them, often rotating from one fad diet to another, to no avail. The truth is that many fad diets are based on skewed scientific data (the few that attempt to use scientific basis at all).
Authors and proponents of such diets carefully select certain portions of valid scientific data related to nutrition and, twist it to the advantage of their product, instead of putting the whole information together as a complete package.
Fad diet authors often utilize newly released research publications to formulate the next diet plan, or ‘improve’ an existing one. Most times, they will not dig deeper into the research material, leaving a load of stones unturned.
Why fad diets don’t work
Many fad diets are based on a particular nutrient, exclusion of some foods, or a severely restricted caloric intake. This will definitely result in an imbalance of nutrients in the body. As the body tries to create a balance, for instance by using up reserves, undesirable health conditions may arise.
These range in severity – from mild muscle cramps and headaches to life threatening cardiac arrhythmias. Diets that severely limit or totally exclude certain foods and fluids are ones to avoid at all costs. For instance, any diet recommending a daily caloric intake below 1000 should be considered unsafe.
Fad diets are often theoretically correct, but the sad reality is that they offer an imbalanced way of eating. They are not sustainable nutrition plans because the recommendations are usually for a fixed period, not for the long haul. This is why people who go on fad diets experience rapid weight loss within a short time, which is mostly fluid and muscle loss.
Fad diets simply don’t work and, that is why there are thousands on the market. They appear and vanish like wind. If there was one that worked, it would replace all the others in a short time. Skip fad diets at all costs. Manage your weight with sustainable, healthy diet plans which allow you to enjoy the food you’ve always loved in a healthy, balanced way.
