Fad Diets are Not the Way
When someone tells you that you can lose a couple of pounds in a week, often you want to be the hare instead of the tortoise to reach your desired physique.
Having graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Science, specializing in Dietetics, I have dedicated several years to studying nutrition and its effects on our bodies. However, my awareness of nutrition’s impact on body composition can be dated to my earliest years of girlhood.
Obesity is on the rise in the United States of America, and as people gain more weight they look more for the easiest, quickest way to lose some pounds.
Influencers and companies are often the first to promote fad diets to get to your physic agenda, however these tactics go against acheiving a healthy weight goal. I will be discussing how in the long run fad diets aren’t good for your health, why people turn to Fad diets, and ways you can achieve a healthy weight.
Let’s uncover why fad diets are not sustainable. Fad diets deprive your body of crucial nutrients that it needs to function properly. Depriving your body of nutrients affects many different aspects of your body, such as crucial organs like your thyroid.
According to Pearson, A. (2019 January 9) “The thyroid interacts and regulates almost all hormones in the body. It plays a key role in energy metabolism, temperature regulation, cholesterol regulation, heart rate, bone health, fertility, and cognitive functions. When the thyroid gland becomes imbalanced, hormone production gets thrown off…Poor nutritional habits are one of the primary root causes for thyroid disorders because it is a nutrient dependent gland.”
Negatively affecting important organs has detrimental effects to yourself as organs carry out multiple functions within your body and improper functioning cannot continue for a prolonged period of time.
Another reason why fad diets are not sustainable long term is backed up by the repercussions that you’ll encounter later on in life.
Emerson, S. Hildebrand, D. Joyce, J. and Sciarrillo, C. (2020 November) state that “Health Risks of Fad Dieting: Body dissatisfaction, greater obsession with thinness and body, lower self-esteem, risk for developing eating disorders, higher death rates with intense calorie restriction, nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, higher risk for heart disease, electrolyte imbalances, impaired bone health and infertility.”
Fad diets are not sustainable because your body cannot maintain itself on limiting guidelines and as a result health problems occur later on in life.
Now that we have a better understanding of the problem of adopting these fad diets, let’s uncover the leading reasons why people go on them.
Fad diets are promoted for many reasons such as initial weight loss and short-term health benefits.
Kaci, O (2022) states that “...modest weight loss along with improvements in blood pressure, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol can be seen within the first 6-12 months of initiating a keto diet. .”
Even though there are shown benefits, these benefits are only prevalent for a short amount of time, and as more time goes on problems start to occur.
In a society in which individuals are pushed to look a certain way and due to that are often unhappy about their body, so those same individuals strive to change how their body looks.
According to Dos Santos, H. Malik, N. Paalani, M. Tonstad, S. and Luiz do Prado, W. (2020) “It is estimated that 42% of the U.S. adult population are overweight or obese (Hales, Carroll, Fryar, & Ogden, 2020) and at least 33% of Americans are adhering to a restrictive diet.”
Obesity is on the rise and doesn’t seem to be slowing anytime soon and the promised quick weight reduction from fad diets is especially tempting to individuals who are constantly told to lose some pounds.
Since we have explored the problems and causes of fad diets, let's turn to two solutions.
Everybody has different nutritional needs due to factors such as age, sex, lifestyle, goals, physical activity levels and more. The general consensus is to enjoy nutrient-dense food and beverage choices that include eating the basic food groups such as carbohydrates, fats and protein. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are prepared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and updated every 5 years with the goals to promote maintenance of good health, and reduce risk of nutrition-related chronic health conditions. Healthy eating patterns include a variety of veggies from all subgroups (dark green, red/orange, legumes like beans and peas, starchy and other), fruits, grains yet half whole grain, fat-free or low-fat dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese and or fortified soy beverages), variety of protein foods (seafood, lean meats/poultry, eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds, soy products, and oils (polyunsaturated oils like avocado oil). More specifically, the aim is to limit consumption of saturated fat, trans fat and added sugar to less than 10% total daily kcal, sodium to be less than 2300 mg per day (~2 tsp), and moderate to no alcohol consumption.
Youdim, A (2021) states that “To receive adequate, appropriate nutrition, people need to consume a healthy diet, which consists of a variety of nutrients—the substances in foods that nourish the body... The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, 9th edition state that: “A healthy dietary pattern consists of nutrient-dense forms of foods and beverages across all food groups...” According to these guidelines, the core elements that make up a healthy dietary pattern include: Vegetables of all types and colors (including beans and legumes, such as peas and lentils). Fruits, especially whole fruit. Grains, at least half of which are whole grain. Dairy, including fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese, and/or lactose-free versions and fortified soy beverages and yogurt as alternatives. Protein foods, including lean meats, poultry, and eggs; seafood; beans, peas, and lentils; and nuts, seeds, and soy products. Oils, including vegetable oils and oils in food, such as seafood and nuts”.
Many people don’t know that carbohydrates don’t mean just bread products, as they entail vegetables, fruit, dairy as well as grains. Pushing yourself to eat a diet consisting of these types of foods is one of the best things you can do for yourself in terms of establishing a healthy weight.
In addition to eating the basic food groups more regularly to help achieve a healthy body weight, the other best lifestyle factor to practice for your health is reducing your stress. Cortisol is a natural stress hormone that affects your metabolism and, therefore, your weight.
Mancella, G. (2020 February 12) states that “Cortisol stimulates your fat and carbohydrate metabolism, creating a surge of energy in your body. While this process is essential for survival situations, it also increases your appetite. Additionally, elevated cortisol levels can cause cravings for sweet, fatty and salty foods…Because your metabolism is responsible for converting food into energy, a change in how this system works can cause potential problems. As outlined by the American Psychological Association, these issues include: Weight gain…”.
Many people don’t realize the effect of stress on your body's weight. By reducing your bad stress through eustress activities such as working out, you can have a profound effect on your cortisol levels and therefore your fat levels within your body. Reducing your stress can be as easy as moving your body, and is a lot healthier for you than going on a fad diet.
I addressed the reasons why fad diets can be detrimental to your health, the connection between obesity and these diets, and explored alternative strategies for achieving a healthy body weight.
I also highlighted the long-term health risks associated with fad diets, discussed why people often resort to them, and suggested healthier ways to manage weight. It's important to remember that weight management is influenced by multiple factors, so it's wise to adopt a gradual approach—be the tortoise rather than the hare—as quick weight loss through fad diets is not sustainable or healthy.
Remember: past experiences of worthiness based upon the daily measuring on a scale do not and will never define you. You are an incredible human being and weight does not define you.
References
Dos Santos, H. Malik, N. Paalani, M. Tonstad, S. Luiz do Prado, W. (2020). Are long-term FAD diets restricting micronutrient intake? A randomized controlled trial. Food Science and Nutrition, 8(11), doi:10.1002/fsn3.1895.
Emerson, S. Hildebrand, D. Joyce, J. and Sciarrillo, C. (2020 November). The Health Risks of Fad Diets. OSU Extension.
https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/the-health-risk-of-fad-diets.html
Kaci, O. (2022). Fad Diets: A Solution or Challenge to Reaching your Weight Loss Goals? Internal Medicine Horizon.
https://horizoninternalmedicine.com/fad-diets/
Pearson, A. (2019 January 9) Thyroid 101 and How to Fight Imbalances with Proper Nutrition. Performance Therapies.
https://ptforhealth.com/thyroid-101-fight-imbalances-with-proper-nutrition/
Reid Health. (2022). Fad diets: The New Year’s resolution’s worst enemy. Reid Health https://www.reidhealth.org/blog/fad-diets-the-new-years-resolutions-worst-enemy
Mancella, G. (2020 February 12). How Too Much Stress Can Cause Weight Gain (and What to Do About It). Orlando Health.
Youdim, A. (2021). Overview of Nutrition. Merck Manual Consumer Edition.
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/disorders-of-nutrition/overview-of-nutrition/overview-of-nutrition
