A diet is a temporary or long-term modification to your daily eating practices. The foods you eat and the manner in which you eat them directly affect how your body functions and the way you feel. People diet for a number of reasons that include the desire to make improvements to physical appearance, mood and health. If you have a medical condition or are pregnant or nursing, consult your doctor before beginning a diet to discuss your nutritional needs.
Weight Management
The primary reason that people diet is for weight loss and body fat reduction. According to data compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 34 percent of American adults over 20 years of age are overweight and an additional 34 percent are technically obese. Dieting to manage weight has the potential to improve physical appearance, bolster self-confidence and boost energy and it offers numerous health benefits, such as reducing the risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and diabetes.
Medical Condition
The decision to diet is sometimes in response to the risk or experience of having a particular medical condition. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 133 million Americans, or 1 out of every 2 adults, have had some form of chronic illness, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer or diabetes. People with an elevated risk for cardiovascular illness may wish to follow a diet low in saturated fats that helps to reduce their cholesterol. Similarly, people with diabetes often choose to diet in order to maintain their blood sugar levels and prevent episodes of hyperglycemia.
Detoxification
Toxins accumulate in the body with age, stress, environmental exposures and lifestyle practices. Toxins can leave you feeling sluggish and moody and can contribute to weight gain and elevate the risk of certain illnesses. Dieting offers a means for detoxifying the body and helps to eliminate waste materials to attain better functioning and health. Detoxifying diets include juice fasting, increasing your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, and abstaining from sugars and processed foods.
Personal Belief
In some instances, the decision to go on a diet is motivated by personal, ethical or political beliefs. An estimated 3.2 percent of the U.S. population claims to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. While in some cases, health reasons provide the impetus for abstaining from animal products, in many others a vegetarian diet reflects attitudes about the ethics and environmental impact of consuming meat. With the increasingly global nature of the food industry, many people have begun to selectively boycott products for social, ecological or moral reasons. Dieting can thus also reflect a decision to eat only organic, fair trade or locally produced goods.
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