WHY FAD DIETS DON'T WORK

At any given time, millions of people are dieting. Magazine and newspaper ads promise fast weight loss. Most weight loss professionals admit that traditional methods of dieting and cutting calories do not work. Liquid diets, supplemented fasts, or food plans marketed by diet clinics are targeted to those who are looking for "quick fixes" for weight loss.

Many of the commercial diet programs offer only a temporary solution to the problem. Weight can be quickly lost but program attendees often gain the weight right back, because people return to their old eating habits. Quick fix programs do not work, despite the fact that millions of dollars are spent each year on them.

There are many kinds of fad diets. Avoid any diet that recommends a certain nutrient, food, or combination of foods be eaten to promote easy weight loss. Unusual quantities of a food or food type or lack of a well balanced diet may cause nutritional deficiencies and only short-term weight loss. Fad diets are boring and are given up in the long run after failure to maintain the discipline they require. They also do not teach lifestyle habits for long-term weight management.

Very low calorie diets, especially when exercise is not included, cause the body to become less efficient at burning fat, making it easier to store fat. So when the diet is stopped and normal eating habits resumed, the body gains back the weight lost plus more. This type of dieting over time, where weight is lost and regained each time a diet is started and stopped, makes a person fatter in the long run, instead of leaner.

Weight-loss diets that provide 1,000 to 1,500 calories per day are considered low-calorie diets. Your weight and exercise level determines the number of calories that is right for a diet program. Any diet promising rapid weight loss of 2 pounds or more a week is NOT safe. Healthy weight loss should be gradual, losing one-half to one pound a week. Healthy lifestyle habits will maintain long-term weight control.

All diets should include a warning to check with a healthcare provider before trying the diet if one has high blood pressure or diabetes. Most fad diets make no mention of physical activity, which is an essential component of weight loss. Fad diets do not cure underlying obesity, so are not useful in the long run. Some fad diets are actually harmful to one's health.

The most important factor to permanent fat loss is establishing appropriate lifestyle habits that will maintain your new healthy weight. Healthy lifestyle habits include regular exercise, behavior modification, and a healthy, nutritious diet with a wide variety of foods.

Take this approach and you will be healthier, happier, and leaner.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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