Fad diets are popular meal plans that help you lose weight. Celebrities who lose weight from fad diets may increase consumer appeal. These diets attract dieters who seek to get quick results, even when the diet is based on theory and has little or no clinical studies to support the benefits and demonstrate safety. Understand the pros and cons of fad diets before you decide to make any dietary changes, and consult your physician before beginning a diet program.
Pro: Weight Loss
Fad diets can cause weight loss. Research by scientists at Tufts-New England Medical Center and published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" in 2005 compared the results of popular fad diets and discovered that the Atkins, Weight Watchers, Zone and Ornish diets modestly reduce body weight between 4.6 and 7.3 lbs at the end of one year. The research also found that increased adherence to the diet is associated with greater weight loss.
Pro: Improved Health
Fad diets can improve your emotional and physical health. Losing weight, even 1 or 2 lbs, can make you feel lighter and happier with yourself. Losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can improve your health and quality of life and may reduce your risk of obesity and chronic diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension, states the Weight-Control Information Network, which is an information service of National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Weight loss may extend your lifespan and reduce your risk of death from chronic diseases.
Con: Low Adherence
Fad diets can become difficult to follow, especially when you eat away from home. Short term results can quickly lead to weight regain if you do not adhere to the diet. Research by scientists at the University of Massachusetts and published in the "International Journal of Obesity" in 2008, found that popular fad diets have low adherence. The research concludes that successful long term weight loss requires making lifestyle changes that include more emphasis on increasing adherence to the diet than the specific amounts of calories from fat, carbohydrates and protein.
Con: Health Risks
Although losing weight is beneficial for your health, you may actually increase your health risks by following a fad diet. This is because many fad diets restrict the amount of calories and nutrients you consume which can lead to energy deprivation and undernutrition. Consuming too few calories from carbohydrates and too much calories from saturated fat could increase your risk for life-threatening conditions, such as diabetic ketosis and cardiovascular disease. This is especially dangerous if you have diabetes. Research by scientists at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria and published in the "Journal of Medical Case Reports" in 2008 reports a case of a patient on a low carbohydrate, high protein diet who developed diabetic ketosis, a condition of low blood sugar in which your body breaks down fat for energy. Removing certain foods from your diet and not replacing them with other foods that contain similar amounts of vitamins or minerals can lead to nutritional deficiencies and consequent metabolic problems.
References
- PubMed.gov: Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone Diets for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Risk Reduction: A Randomized Trial; ML Dansinger, et al.; 2005
- The Online Health Guide: Fast Fat Loss Diets
- Weight-Control Information Network: Weight Loss for Life
- PubMed.gov: Dietary Adherence and Weight Loss Success among Overweight Women: Results from the A to Z Weight Loss Study; S. Alhassan et. al.; 2008
- PubMed.gov: South Beach Diet Associated Ketoacidosis: A Case Report; S. Chalasani S, J. Fischer; 2008
Member Comments