Characteristics Of A Fad Diet

There are so many diets for weight loss that it can be difficult to determine which one can help you lose weight in a healthy way. Fortunately, you can look for some common characteristics that may alert you to whether a diet is a fad diet as you are evaluating your options. Get your doctor's approval before starting any diet for weight loss.

Fast Weight Loss

Many fad diets promise they can help you lose weight at a rate that is faster than a healthy rate for most individuals. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends creating a calorie deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories per day to lose 1 to 2 lb. per week, but a fad diet typically promise losing several pounds within days. The Mayo Clinic website states that fast weight loss is usually from losing muscle or water weight, not weight from burning stored fat.

Special Foods

Fad diets don't encourage you to eat a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, nuts and lean proteins. A fad low-carbohydrate diet may severely restrict healthy food or entire food groups, or they may only permit you to eat certain foods, such as juice. Many fad diets are based on proprietary diet foods you need to purchase from the diet company.

Unsafe Components

Some fad diets are potentially dangerous. According to Ford Valley State University, a diet that requires you to fast may burn fat, but it also burns your body's lean muscle, including the heart muscle. Some fad diets include diet pills for suppressing your appetite, increasing your energy or revving up your metabolism. Look at the ingredients carefully before you take these supplements to be sure that they are safe. The Mayo Clinic warns that some common ingredients may not be effective, and they can interact with drugs.

Regaining Weight

The Harvard School of Public Health states that the most important factor in assessing whether a diet is effective is whether or not it leads to lasting weight loss. Using a fad weight loss method such as fasting or eliminating carbohydrates that does not teach you sustainable healthy eating habits to maintain for your entire life can lead to rebound weight gain.