Fad Dieting
the facts behind the hype
by Elizabeth Focht
It seems like every time you pick up a magazine or turn on the TV, the issue of weight appears. Ads for weight loss pills, plans and programs are commonplace. Promises like “Lose 10 pounds in one week! Eat what you want and lost weight!” pop up almost every commercial break and full-page “before and after” photos of men and women in swimsuits appear in a multitude of magazines. Diets are even becoming popularized through the media. With so much scrutiny on size, some people dismiss healthy eating habits and turn to fad diets in an attempt to drop pounds quickly.
Most fad diets include promises of drastic weight loss in a short amount of time and specify what foods are “good” and “bad.” Fad diets usually have periods of popularity and then the hype usually fades when people cannot maintain the results. The problem with fad diets is they don’t provide balanced nutrition and are not sustainable over long periods. Here, we break down three kinds of fad diets according to everydiet.org and separate the myths from the facts.
Low-Carb Diets
The claim: Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. Cutting them out causes the body to use a different source of energy. Stored body fat is the next source, so by eliminating carbs, the body burns fat. Diets like Atkins and the Zone limit carbs to easily shed pounds. Foods that are high in carbohydrates include breads, grains, pastas, starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn, processed foods and anything that contains a large amount of flour.
Atkins: Developed by Dr. Robert C. Atkins in 1972, this diet has four phases that limit the intake of carbs. Phase one eliminates virtually all carbohydrate rich food, which causes the body to enter the metabolic stage of ketosis, the process of using fat as the main source of energy. Phase two slowly adds carbs by adding vegetables to the diet. Phases three and four are maintenance phases. Someone on the Atkins diet can eat from 20 to 40 grams of unrefined carbohydrates a day. The recommended daily amount is 80 to 100 grams.
Zone: Created by Dr. Barry Seals in 2002, this diet focuses on nutrition ratios. The Zone diet requires meals to consist of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 30 percent fats. The Zone also limits calories to 1,200 per day, as opposed to the 1,600 to 1,800 recommended by healthcentral.com. A typical meal that meets the 40:30:30 ratio fills a plate with one-third low-fat protein, two-thirds with fruits and vegetables, and a dash of healthy fat, like olive oil or guacamole.
The truth: Weight loss that occurs from low-carb diets is probably the loss of water weight. Carbohydrates are stored with water, and by depleting the level of carbohydrates in the body, water weight is also lost. This is not a sustainable way to keep weight off. Many people who go on low-carb diets have difficulty maintaining their weight for extended periods of time.
The problem with these diets is they ignore good carbs that provide essential vitamins and minerals, according to Angela Bryant, registered dietician and nutritionist at Hartshorn Health Services. Whole grains provide fiber and energy, and other healthy carbohydrate-rich foods include fruits, yogurt and milk.
“Carbs should be a staple of our diet and make up about 55 to 60 percent of calorie intake,” said Bryant, adding that since carbs are the main source of energy, cutting them out can cause lethargic feelings.
Liquid Diets
The claim: Stop eating and start drinking to lost weight. By replacing all meals with juices, pounds drop quickly while the body still gets nutrients from whatever kind of juice is consumed. Some juices cleanse the body of toxins, like the Master Cleanse and others drastically reduce calorie intake, like the Hollywood Diet. When on a liquid diet, no food is allowed.
Master Cleanse: The Master Cleanse, also known as the Lemonade Diet, was developed by Stanley Burroughs as a way to flush toxins out of the body in order to be healthier and to lose extra weight. This diet requires strong will since the only thing that can be consumed is a mixture of fresh lemon or lime juice, organic maple syrup and cayenne pepper, as well as salt water and herbal laxative tea. To experience detoxification benefits it is recommended that people follow the diet for a minimum of ten days, but no more than 40.
Hollywood Diet: This diet claims that drinking the “Hollywood 48 Hour Miracle” juice can cause 10 pounds of weight loss in two days, increase energy levels and stop junk food cravings. The drink is 100 percent natural and has a special blend of essential fruits, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and essential oils. The supposed miracle drink costs $18 per 32 ounce bottle, but since it is replacing food for two days, most people buy more than one to maintain energy and avoid hunger pangs.
The truth: Plain and simple, liquid diets are unsustainable weight loss plans. While it is possible to see results, it is most likely due to the loss of water weight. Dropping pounds from water weight is different than fat loss. Water weight is easily regained while losing fat keeps off extra pounds long term.
“It is not realistic to lose 10 pounds of fat in just two days,” said Bryant. “Diets that claim high amounts of weight loss in a short period of time probably depend on the loss of water weight.”
It is also unsafe to restrict calories as drastically as liquid diets require.
“What most people don’t know is that cutting back calories to that extreme puts the body in starvation mode,” added Bryant. When in starvation mode, the body protects its fat storage and begins using lean muscle or tissue to provide calories and energy, leading to muscle loss and a slowed metabolism.
Single Food Diets:
The claim: Certain “power foods” have the ability to cause rapid weight loss, like grapefruits or cabbage soup. When on a single food diet, someone can eat as much or as little as they want, as long as it is the same kind of food. Eating one kind of food is easier on the digestive system than eating varied meals. By eating the same food each day, calorie intake is reduced.
Cabbage Soup Diet: The cabbage soup diet is a low-fat, high-fiber diet that claims weight loss of up to 10 pounds in one week by drastically cutting calories. Supposedly, the more soup you eat, the more weight you lose. The diet is not meant for long term use; instead it is used to quickly lose weight and jump start other diet plans.
Grapefruit Diet: It is a common misconception that this diet requires people to eat only grapefruit. This is not the case. The idea is that eating half a grapefruit before each meal will release fat-burning enzymes and boost metabolism. While dieters on this plan are allowed to eat other foods, the daily calorie intake is limited to only 800 -- less than half of the daily required amount. The grapefruit diet is recommended for 12 days, in which up to 10 pounds can be lost.
The truth: Eating the same thing every day deprives the body of essential nutrients.
“There is not one ‘magic food’ that gives our body everything it needs,” said Kerry Jacques, research associate and instructor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science. “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. We get bored eating the same thing over and over, which causes cravings to kick in.”
Instead of having one staple food in a diet, it is important to eat balanced, varied meals.
“Our bodies weren’t built for this kind of stuff,” said Dr. Matt Hickey, director of the Human Performance Clinical Research Lab in the Department of Health and Exercise Science. “It is better to take a whole foods approach,” he said.
Eating minimally-processed foods, like a whole apple rather than sugary apple sauce or fresh vegetables as opposed to frozen, has many health benefits.
“There’s no question that high fructose, preservatives and dyes [in foods] can take their toll,” Hickey said. Avoiding processed, sugary foods and eating a variety of whole, healthy foods is more effective than a single food diet.
The key to healthy weight loss is to think of it as a lifestyle change, not a diet, Bryant said.