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How to spot a fad diet

posted by Good Life Dietitians on 13 Sep 12, 08:41

Categories: Health

The Atkins diet, the Zone diet, the Cookie Diet- fad diets come and go as quickly as fashion changes in New York. If these diets were really so great the Good Life Dietitians would be non-existent and the whole planet would be made up of Brangelina-type couples. In this post we teach you how to spot a fad diet and help remind our readers that if it is too good to be true, it probably is.

Dramatic statements

This is probably the biggest warning sign to any fad diet. Any diet promising that you will lose 10kg in a month is a fad diet. Weight loss is only healthy and sustainable at a goal of 500g to 1.0kg per week. Also look out for statements like “eat all you want and still lose weight”, and terms like effortless, easy, guaranteed, breakthrough formula, and the likes.

Restricting foods

When a diet tells you to avoid apples or eggs ask yourself, “Can I eat this way for the rest of my life?” The answer will be no. A diet that tells you to completely eliminate a certain food or food group from your diet should send alarm bells off in your head. Restricting a food or an entire food group will exclude vital nutrients and put you at an increased risk for developing nutritional deficiencies in the long run.

Good vs. bad foods

Any diet that tells you that certain foods are bad and certain foods good is worrisome. No food is good or bad, and all foods can form part of a healthy diet, though some foods need to be eaten in moderation. Just like a car needs the right petrol to run properly, we need to fuel our bodies with a healthy diet for adequate carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals, all which come from a variety of foods.

Quick fixes

In this era of instant gratification the idea of working towards a long-term goal is fiction to  most. There is no such thing as a quick fix when it comes to healthy weight loss, and it is almost guaranteed that just as quickly as you lost the weight you will pick it up again.  If no long-term behaviours are put into place, can a 30kg weight loss really be long-term?

Buy me!

Be wary of diets that require for you to buy certain products, pills, powders or lotions in order to work effectively. These gimmicks are merely to make your pocket and not your butt lighter. Be wary of diets that recommended the use of specific products with claims that they will improve your weight loss.

The best diet is not to diet at all, but rather make healthy food choices to lose and sustain weight loss. At the end of the day, sustainable weight loss can only be achieved by eating a healthy, balanced diet in combination with an increase in physical activity. If you feel you need help, make an appointment with a registered dietitian. 

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