The Dangers of Fad Diets

Advertised on television and described in books, displayed on the page of a magazine or sent in a pamphlet through the mail, fad diets are increasingly common and can reach people in a number of ways. The desire to be thinner –along with considerable pressure in modern society to achieve a certain look-- can make people feel nearly desperate to find a diet that works, and with their claims of delivering substantial results in short periods of time, fad diets may seem especially appealing. Unfortunately, however, fad diets are in general prone to failure, and may end up causing people to put on even more unwanted weight –and to lose confidence in their ability to achieve a more desirable figure. Along with these unhappy consequences, there are serious health risks involved in fad diets, as well, and examining how a fad diet might impact personal health and safety is likely to reinforce a choice to avoid fad diets and to focus instead on a nutrition and exercise program that safely encourages weight loss and improves fitness.

A prominent feature of many fad diets is a low caloric intake. Many people associate dieting with a reduction in calories, and while cutting down on this particular parameter can in fact lead to weight loss; there are many other important factors involved. Fad diets may suggest that people eat far less than their daily recommended intake of calories, causing a noticeable reduction in weight but likely to lead to serious problems such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and of course, frequent pangs of hunger. Some diets may even provide dieters with a certain product such as a drink or snack bar intended to deliver a full meal's worth of nutrition –or even a full day's worth. Such practices are not generally sustainable, and even though following such plans may lead to short-term weight loss, dieters are likely to simply regain the pounds once a regular diet is re-adopted. While the idea that eating less is fairly ingrained in the popular conception of losing weight and promoting better health, eating too little poses a major health risk and can interfere with nearly every area of life.

The notion that it's what, rather than how much, a person eats that's responsible for regulating their weight holds some validity, but fad diets often take this basic principle and twist it into dangerous eating suggestions. The removal of entire food groups from a person's daily diet is an attribute of several diet plans, whether it's carbohydrates and grains, meats and protein or dairy, or other categories. Dieters may find that suddenly omitting certain food groups can in fact result in weight loss, but such a choice has many other effects on the body, as well. People who follow restrictive food group fad diets may notice changes in their body's overall health, and can experience a constant state of tiredness, irritability, heightened stress and difficulty sleeping, and other symptoms. In some circumstances, cutting back on certain types of foods may actually be a good idea –but as this varies from one person to the next, talking to a nutritionist or doctor before engaging in such a diet is the best choice.

In fact, one of the most dangerous aspects of fad diets is their lack of flexibility. Proposing the idea that a single diet plan could ever be ideal for everybody is evidence of either poor intentions or a poor understanding of nutrition. The substantial variations in people's health, personal preferences, and changing situations mean that one diet plan is likely to be problematic for a range of followers, and occasionally, serious problems can result. Those who experience various medical concerns, take certain medications, are pregnant, or are of especially young or old age, for instance, are likely to have quite different nutritional requirements compared to an “average” dieter. Because fad diets fail to take such considerations into account, they may have negative consequences for a variety of followers.

A basic knowledge of the food pyramid with its various groups, coupled with an attention to what the body seems to need and consultations with a nutrition professional or doctor, if needed, should be enough to help people form a reasonable and effective diet. Though it can be understandably tempting to imagine that with minimal effort and a certain product weight loss will quickly and permanently manifest, the safest and most rewarding path to a better body doesn't rely on fads. Rather than waste time and money on fad diet products while also risking personal health and potentially damaging one's confidence, making the choice to live a healthier lifestyle involving a well-rounded diet and regular exercise is sure to work well. By recognizing fad diets as simple gimmicks, dieters can get on the right track to real results.