FAD DIETS

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FAD DIETS

• University of Kentucky
• Cooperative Extension Service

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Obesity

• Approximately 127 million adults in the United
  States are overweight.
• 60 million are obese.
• 9 million are severely obese.
• Obesity is a disease that has been rapidly on the
  rise in America since 1960!

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Why are so many Americans obese?

• Lack of physical activity
• Poor food choices, namely high-calorie, low cost
  foods
• Obsession with the wrong kinds of diets
• Lack of time
• Lack of quality relationships

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How to recognize a fad diet

• Advocates magic or miracle foods that burn fat.
• Recommends bizarre quantities of only one food or
  type of food.
• Forces one to adhere to a rigid menu.
• Touts benefits of specific food combinations.
• Promises rapid weight loss (2 lbs. per week)
• Does not include a health warning for those with
  chronic diseases.
• Requires NO increased physical activity.
• Sounds too good to be true.

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Popular Fad Diets

• South Beach Diet
• Atkins Diet Revolution
• Scarsdale Medical Diet
• Grapefruit Diet
• Enter the Zone Diet
• 3-Day Diet

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South Beach Diet

• Eat as much as you want, BUT avoid sugars and
  refined-foods carbohydrates.
• Phase One- 2 weeks of strict dieting avoid
  nearly all carbs. Most people lose between 8-13
  lbs.
• Phase Two- Good carbs slowly introduced into
  diet.
• Phase Three- Return to Phase One if weight gain
  begins again.

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Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution

• Eat NO MORE THAN 20 grams of carbohydrates per
  day.
• Avoid ALL breads, cereals, grains, sugars, pasta,
  rice, flour, soda, juice, fruit, alcohol
• Some vegetables are allowed if consumed in small
  quantities. The dieter is advised to stick with
  free meats, eggs, and cheeses.
• Advocates LOW carbs and HIGH fat.

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Scarsdale Medical Diet Plan

• Requires dieter to follow a strict diet regimen
  for 7 days.
• Must consume at least 4 glasses of water or diet
  soda per day.
• Coffee, lean meat, vegetables, and melons or
  grapefruit make up the majority of the diets
  food guidelines.

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Grapefruit Diet

• Promises that the dieter will lose 52 lbs. in 2½
  months!
• Must drink 64 oz. water daily. Must adhere to a
  strict list of haves and have nots. Cannot
  eliminate ANYTHING from the diet and must consume
  the minimum amount required at each meal.
• Advises the dieter to, Eat until you are
  stuffed. The more you eat, the more weight you
  will lose.
• Includes grapefruits or juice, any meat
  (especially bacon), and salad with dressing.

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Enter the Zone Diet

• Strict 40-30-30 eating plan. 40
  carbohydrates, 30 fat and 30 protein.
• Claims to use the biochemical effects of food on
  hormone production and metabolic activity. The
  Zone refers to a supposed state of optimal
  health, peak performance, and weight control.

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3-Day Diet

• Similar to the Scarsdale diet, but offers a wide
  variety of food and necessitates a VERY detailed
  eating plan.
• Dieters are instructed to measure each food
  (usually ½ or 1 cup per serving) and are told to
  eat toast, peanut butter, veggies, apples,
  crackers, vanilla ice cream, and beef franks.
  Again, the diet stresses the importance of eating
  these foods in a certain specific order.

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High-Carbohydrate Diets

• Diets like the Pritikin Diet Plan or the
  Save-Your-Life Diet recommend high fiber and high
  carbs.
• These diets are as unhealthy as their low-carb
  counterparts. They can lead to lowered immunity
  and poor wound healing because of lower fat and
  protein intake.

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Science of Low-Carbohydrate Diets

• Carbohydrates are the bodys main source of
  energy. Excess carbohydrates are converted to
  fat and stored as fat tissue.
• When on a low carbohydrate diet, the body uses
  fats from foods and fats stored in the body for
  energy.

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Science of Low Carbohydrate Diets

• When carbohydrates are in short supply, the body
  cannot completely break down fat. As a result,
  ketone bodies are formed. Large amounts of water
  is excreted. This water loss can cause
  dehydration.
• Ketones accumulate in the blood, causing ketosis.
  This state forces the body to burn calories
  similar to a state of starvation. This is
  DANGEROUS, especially over a long period of time.

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Other Dangerous Plans

• Many people try total fasting or self-imposed
  starvation to lose weight. This is perhaps the
  most problematic method of weight loss and can
  damage tissues, body fluids, mineral supplies,
  and vital organs.
• Diet Aids, such as Dexatrim or PhenPhen promise
  the same results as diet plans but with little or
  no change in eating or exercise lifestyle.
  Generally, they are a health risk and are often
  make claims that are too good to be true.

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Psychology of Dieting

• Fad diets are SO popular because they promise
  FAST weight loss with MINIMAL effort. In our
  fast-paced society, this is a very tempting
  offer.
• Americans are obsessed. The weight loss industry
  in the U.S. rakes in 37 billion dollars a year.
  

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Psychology of Dieting

• A study of four popular fad diets discovered
  another problem while they claim to be easy to
  follow, most people cannot adhere to them. A
  third of participants dropped out of the more
  healthy Weight Watchers and Zone diets. About
  half could not complete the Atkins Diet or the
  vegetarian Ornish Diet Plan. Source Tufts
  University

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Psychology of Dieting

• The study also noted that, while initial weight
  loss may be high, the participants had only lost
  about 5 of body weight after one year.
• This weight loss is comparable to a 200 lb.
  individual shedding 10 lbs. Most dieters hope to
  shed about 30 lbs.
• Even unhealthy weight loss can be DISCOURAGING!

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THINK POSITIVELY

• Be realistic.
• Make small changes.
• Be adventurous.
• Enjoy a variety of foods.
• Be flexible.
• You can fit in special treats.
• Be sensible.
• Enjoy all foods.
• Be active.
• Get creative with your recreational activities.

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Serving Savvy
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Teen Dieting

• Time Magazine reports that 80 of children have
  been on a diet by the time they reach the 4th
  grade.
• 81 of ten-year-olds are afraid of being fat.
  (Mellin,et.al, 1992)
• The most common behavior that will lead to an
  eating disorder is dieting. (AABA, 1998)

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Teen Dieting

• Too often, teenagers believe that they are
  supposed to look a certain way.
• The media presents us with unrealistically thin
  models. The average woman is 54 tall and weighs
  140 lbs. The average model is 511 tall and
  weighs 117 lbs. (Smolak, 1996)
• Pre-teen and young teen girls go through normal
  and necessary body changes (hips broaden, breasts
  develop) and no longer look like the models on TV
  and in magazines.

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Fad Diets and Eating Disorders

• 35 of normal dieters progress to pathological
  dieting. Of those, 20-25 progress to partial or
  syndrome eating disorders. (Shisslak
  Crago,1995)
• The popularity of fad diets perpetuates the idea
  that being thin is more important than being
  healthy.
• According to a recent study, ½ of females between
  the age of 18-25 would prefer to be run over by a
  truck than be fat. (Graessar, 1996)

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Healthy Diet/Exercise

• www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/
• The Surgeon Generals Call to Action to Prevent
  and Decrease Overweight and Obesity
• Being physically active can help you attain or
  maintain a healthy weight!

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Healthy Diet/Exercise

• www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/fitness/
  execsummary.html
• The Presidents Health and Fitness Initiative
• HealthierUS- Every little bit of effort counts!

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Healthy Diet/Exercise

• www.fns.usda.gov/FNSmascot/ParentBrochures/
• Balance_brochure.pdf
• Food Nutrition Service
• United States Department of Agriculture
• Make Family Time an Active Time- Just Move It!

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What Parents Can do to Encourage Healthy
Lifestyles

• Encourage your kids.
• Listen to them!
• Volunteer
• Play with your children.
• Keep them safe!
• Set a good example.

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EAT WELL and KEEP MOVING!

• PLAN
• BE PREPARED
• TRY SOMETHING NEW
• CHANGE THE PACE