What are Fad Diets?
What they are, why do fad diets not work, and what to do instead.
If you’re on social media, have a friend in the wellness space, or talk to your colleagues and neighbors, you’ve likely heard about one or more of the top 10 trending diets of 2021.
Shoot, if you’ve looked at a magazine cover or have simply stepped outside, you’re probably familiar with a few of them.
Keto, plant-based flexitarian, intermittent fasting, paleo, DASH, mediterranean, immune system support (food to combat COVID), MIND diet (mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay), low FODMAP diet, and the volumetric diet. Which one will you pick today?
Why do fad diets not work - everything you need to know about fad diets.
With about 45 million Americans going on a diet every year, spending upward of $78 billion for weight loss products annually (1), you have to consider that something incredibly influential is driving such dramatic numbers. Well, something is — it’s called weight. In a largely weight-centric society, people quickly identify others according to their weight; whether at a party, a networking event, the gym, or even at the doctor’s office, the shape and size of someone’s body seems to hold significant value. This isn’t something new — weight, body image, and body shaming have been ingrained into American culture. It’s become common practice to make assumptions and draw conclusions based on weight. Though weight is not the only measure of health, it seems to be the one that gains the most attention. A lot of this is thanks to the diet industry. Happy to maximize the weight-centric focus, the diet industry preys and profits on weight and weight loss. But, if diets actually worked, why do 45 million Americans diet every year? Clearly, something is off.
What Are Fad Diet?
A fad diet will typically have promises for favorable results within a short time period by following specific dietary rules or guidelines. This can involve cutting out or restricting foods or food groups, including your favorite cultural and comfort foods. Times of eating may be restricted as well. A lot of effort and discipline is generally needed, which typically makes complying with the guidelines very difficult as such radical “rules” enforce so many barriers. Many people may not have 2-3 hours per day to cook, $200 to spend on shopping every week, or the medical ability to opt out of eating for a whole day. Due to the nature of these characteristics, fad diets are not meant to be sustained long-term or incorporated as a positive lifestyle change.
Fad Diet Risks & Benefits
Benefit
Short-term weight loss if weight loss is a goal (risk: fluctuation in weight, leading to upset in regular metabolism function)
Risk
Nutrient deficiencies
Overeating when the diet is no longer being actively followed
Can promote negative relationships / associations with food (disordered eating, promotes diet culture, opposes intuitive eating, etc.)
Increased health risks, especially for people with underlying medical conditions
Regain back weight lost
Upsets natural body function, metabolism / regulation
When you alter your normal eating habits by drastically changing your intake (whether it is by changing the times you eat, how much you eat, what you eat, in what proportions, etc.) without syncing your body cues like hunger into the equation, your body is “shocked” by the sudden unprecedented change and tries to overcompensate.
It can do this by reducing the amount of energy that is being used, increasing your appetite through altered ghrelin levels (hunger hormone), and slowing your metabolism when more food consumption is resumed as a backup plan to prepare if it’s going to be “shocked” again in the future. So rather than metabolizing food normally, your body is more likely to store it away for a rainy day, making it ultimately more difficult for your body to resume a natural optimal resting state and maintain a healthy weight.
It’s very difficult to argue against something that is advertised to make you look good, feel good, and benefit your health in a short period of time. But there is truth to that saying, “If something sounds too good to be true then it likely is.” The glorified outcomes we often hear about regarding fad diets are typically due to excellent marketing efforts that diet companies design and push to maximize profits on current trends. Research articles are not typically easy to read or digest, nor are they pleasant to advertise. On the flip side, testimonials and shared positive experience claims are easy to acknowledge and they require no evidence to advertise.
We are accustomed to relying on generalized information from medical doctors, influencers, health and wellness coaches, and even nutritionists, but what merits their credibility? Our education system similarly fails to instill a foundation of nutritional knowledge in the general population. Although physical education is required in schools, nutrition education and healthy eating 101 are not. It’s not only K-18 where this is of concern. Even for college students and future doctors, nutrition fails to be prioritized. The average medical doctor typically only gets about 23.9 hours of nutrition education contact hours as discovered in a research study conducted on all 126 medical schools in the United States. Additionally, there is no mandated requirement for a minimum (or any) amount of nutrition education (Adams et al. 2006). If our education system has made it this difficult for doctors to become well informed about nutrition, how is the average person supposed to navigate this diet-driven, weight-centric world?
One place an individual could start would be by asking questions: What is it? Question the claims being made and how they are supported. Are these claims based on facts? Facts from where? Facts from google or an evidence-based research study? Oftentimes, these questions will lead you to a more transparent answer. Who are you getting this information from? Do they have the proper education and training to provide credible advice? Although your gym-going, health-conscious friend may have excellent tips, it’s important to speak to a licensed professional in dietetics for advice regarding your dietary intake.
Know Why Diets Don't Work.
“One study of dieting obese patients followed them for varying lengths of time. Among those who were followed for fewer than two years, 23 percent gained back more weight than they had lost, while of those who were followed for at least two years, 83% gained back more weight than they had lost, Mann said. One study found that 50% of dieters weighed more than 11 pounds over their starting weight five years after the diet, she said.”(13)
UCLA study of people on diets.
People on diets typically lose 5 to 10 percent of their starting weight in the first six months, however, at least one-third to two-thirds of people regain more weight than they lost within four or five years.
“You can initially lose 5 to 10 percent of your weight on any number of diets, but then the weight comes back.”
— Traci Mann, UCLA associate professor of psychology
How to identify types of fad diets. Ask yourself …
Is it restrictive?
Are there rules?
Does it have a start and end date?
Does it promise a quick fix?
It is not backed by science?
Does it use enticing words like detox, cleanse, results?
Is promoted by those who don’t specialize in dietetics?
Is it backed by the multi-billion dollar diet industry?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s likely a fad diet. The solution.
Eat whole foods. Batch cook. Eat intuitively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.1 What are fad diets and why are they unhealthy?
A. Fad diets are unhealthy because they’re unsustainable and restrictive. They often don't meet ones nutritioinal needs or provide adequate nutritional value. They often create an imbalanced diet that leads to an unhealthy relationship with food. Consult a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist before starting any diet.
Q.2 How can you identify a fad diet?
A. There are many fad diets that come and go. Though it can be hard to tell if a diet is a fad or if it has long-term potential, a good place to start is is by looking at its restriction, nutritional value, and whether or not it’s backed by scientific research and / or a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. You can also often identify a fad diet by reviewing its claims. Does it make promises that seem too good to be true? They likely are. Learn more about these common types of fad diets like keto, paleo diet, intermittent dieting, and juice cleanses.
Q.3 What is Weeknight Dinners?
A. It’s time to let healthy eating and living become a part of your everyday life. Try Weeknight Dinners for easy plant-based dinner ideas. Weeknight Dinners provides a well-balanced and streamlined system to help you prepare healthy meals in less than 10 minutes. You’ll feel better after you feed yourself well.
Free Weeknight Dinners recipes.
Want quick and easy weeknight dinner recipes that are nourishing and delicious?
Written by Kimberly Jower.
Reviewed by Kelly Powers, MA, RDN, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who takes a holistic approach to nutrition and health. Kelly is a recipe developer with a food blog highlighting whole foods, simple recipes, and her life in San Francisco. She’s the creator of Weeknight Dinners, a weekly meal plan program that helps users get back in the kitchen and feed themselves well.
References.
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