Americans spend over 30 billion dollars a year on weight loss, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Yet, more than 30 percent of Americans are obese -- a number reported by the "Journal of the American Medical Association" in 2010. With over 300 flawed fad diets available, it's no wonder people can't seem to keep the weight off.
Unrealistic Claims
You've heard it before: "Eat as much as you want of whatever you want and still lose weight!" The truth is, lasting weight loss doesn't happen without some effort. Some diets claim quick weight loss. One fad diet promises a loss of 26 lbs. in 26 days. A safer and more realistic goal of ½ to 2 lbs. lost per week is recommended by the Weight-control Information Network.
Miracle Foods
If the cabbage soup diet sounds boring, that's because it is. No single food has the power to make you lose weight, warns the American Heart Association. Furthermore, monotonous diets that focus on a single food are virtually impossible to maintain for more than a few days. And if you were able to exist on nothing but cabbage soup and vegetables, you'd be lacking important nutrients such as protein, healthy fats and B vitamins.
Elimination of Foods
Eliminating or severely restricting an entire food group won't induce lasting weight loss. It can also be dangerous, warns the American Heart Association. Eliminating carbohydrate foods, such as high-protein diets recommend, depletes your body of water, vitamins and the cholesterol-lowering effects of fiber. Inadequate calcium, magnesium and potassium intake can raise blood pressure. Also, the ingestion of too many high-protein, high-fat foods may increase your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Irrational Expectations
Not only does the hCG diet encourage you to eat less than 500 calories a day, but you are also expected to take daily injections of a hormone excreted in the urine of pregnant women. Sound dubious? According to a March 14, 2011 article in the Huffington Post, the shots elicited the same weight loss as injections of salt water. And they don't make the significant calorie restriction any safer.
Losing Weight Healthfully
A safe, successful weight-loss program emphasizes a balanced, healthy eating plan and moderate-intensity physical activity. Reduce calories without restricting specific foods or food groups, and have a plan for maintaining the weight. Be wary of diet plans that promise limited effort with maximum results, and don't expect to lose more than 2 lbs. per week.
References
- U. S. Food and Drug Administration; The Facts About Weight Loss Products and Programs
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Prevalence and Trends in Obesity Among U.S. Adults, 1999-2008; Katherine M. Flegal, et al.; January 2010
- Weight-control Information Network; Choosing a Safe and Successful Weight-loss Program; April 2008
- American Heart Association: Quick-Weight-Loss or Fad Diets
- American Heart Association; High-Protein Diets; May 2010
- HuffPost Health; hCG Diet Controversy: Diet or Healthy Hormone Treatment?; Dean Praetorius; March 2011
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