Fad Diets Do They Work

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Fad DietsDo They Work?

• Isabel Valentine-Oquendo
• Family Nutrition Program
• January 2001

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Fad Diets

• quick, permanent weight loss . . .
• seemingly effortless . . .
• no hunger, no cravings, no calorie counting . .
  .
• Just follow the breakthroughplan and the
  pounds just melt away . . .

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How to Recognize a Fad Diet

• Magic or miracle foods that burn fat.
• Bizarre quantities of only one food or type of
  food.
• Rigid menus.
• Specific food combinations.
• Rapid weight loss of more than 2 pounds a week.
• No warning for people with diabetes or high blood
  pressure.
• No increased physical activity.

Source American Heart Association,
http//www.americanheart.org
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Common Denominators

• Fad diet plans are low in calories.
• These diets are deficient in major nutrients.
• These diets are out of balance.
• On a practical level, diets high in protein and
  fat and low in carbohydrate tend to promote the
  loss of WATER weight.

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Common Denominators cont.

• Health problems that result from following these
  diet plans for extended periods of time include
  constipation, risks for heart disease, and
  possible loss of calcium, leading to weak bones.
• The validity of these plans are usually based on
  anecdotal claims and testimonials, not on
  controlled studies.

Source American Institute for Cancer Research,
http//www.aicr.org
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Popular fad diets use scientific principles taken
out of context.

• Ketosis
• Insulin resistance
• Glycemic index

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Potential Health Hazards of Dieting

• Increase total and LDL cholesterol (heart disease
  risk).
• Increase blood free fatty acid levels (risk of
  irregular heartbeat and diabetes).
• Increase blood uric acid levels (affects joints
  and kidneys).
• Increase loss of calcium (risk of osteoporosis).
• Psychological effects could include obsession
  with food, depression, mental lethargy,
  irritability.

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How About Maintaining Weight Loss?

• Data from the National Weight Control Registry
  reveal that people most successful at maintaining
  significant weight loss follow a diet low in fat
• (20-25) and high in carbohydrates (about 55).

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• The key to weight loss is the balance between the
  calories consumed and the calories burnt.

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Dietary Guidelines for Americans
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Every day guide to portion sizes

• 1 cup rice, pasta about the size of a tennis ball
• 1 pancake about the size of a compact disc
• 1 piece of cornbread about the size of a bar of
  soap

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Every day guide toportion sizes cont.

• 1 baked potato about the size of a fist
• ½ cup cooked broccoli is about the size of a
  light bulb
• 1 ½ ounces cheese is about the size of a 9-volt
  battery

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Every day guide toportion sizes cont.

• 1 cup cut-up fruit is about the size of a fist
• 1 medium size fruit is about the size of a
  tennis ball
• 1 cup ice cream is about the size of a baseball

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Every day guide toportion sizes cont.

• 1 tbsp peanut butter is about the size of a thumb
  tip
• 3 ounces cooked meat is about the size of your
  palm or a deck of cards
• 1 ounce of nuts is about one handful