Unsurprisingly, the number of diets that promise quick fixes have increased over the past years. With so many options to choose from, dieters are opting for faddism rather than realism when it comes to weight loss. According to the HealthResearchFunding.org, 54% of Americans reported that they were on a diet in 2010 (1). Furthermore, the Marketdata Enterprises estimates that Americans spend nearly $60 billion in weight loss products annually (2). But fad diets, as their name implies, are short-term fixes that only promise dramatic weight results, and set up the dieters for failure.
Realistically, these diets make promises that sound unfeasible by making claims that are too good to be true: “lose 20 pounds in one month,” “eat like your ancestors if you want to live a longer and healthier life” and “limit carbohydrates, so the body burns fats.”
Here are four of the trendiest diets that are popular among many dieters and their common myths:
#1 The Paleolithic Diet
Commonly known as the Paleo Diet or the Caveman Diet, it calls for consuming only foods that man ate when roaming the planet millions of years ago. The Paleolithic guidelines exclude the consumption of important food groups such as grains, legumes and dairy products. Other foods not allowed in this dietary plan are refined sugars and processed foods, meanwhile it emphasizes the consumption of meats, vegetables, fruits and the so called “natural oils.” However, cutting out dairy products could put you at risk for a calcium deficiency since getting enough calcium and vitamin D from non-dairy sources may be harder for some people.
#2 The Gluten-free Diet
This is a diet exclusively to treat celiac disease (CD), excluding foods that contain wheat, barley and rye since these can trigger an immune reaction, causing damage to the small intestine. In terms of the gluten free diet, evidence-based research has failed to support this diet is a healthier option for the general population (3). First of all, the gluten free diet restricts the consumption of whole wheat products. However, these are a great source of fiber, which helps keep your bowel movements regulated. Additionally, a systemic review on the effects of dietary fiber and risk of cardiovascular diseases has revealed that greater dietary fiber intake was associated with lower risks of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease (4). Secondly, dieters opting for the gluten-free products are not only paying higher prices but could be consuming higher calories since processed gluten-free products are usually higher in sugars and fats than their counterparts (5) (6).
#3 The Juicing Cleanse Diet
This diet promotes the consumption of fruits and vegetable juices, usually, for a period of about 3-10 days. This diet claims to clean and detoxify the body, while promoting drastic weight loss. While the juicing cleanse diet may increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables, this has the disadvantage of losing some of the benefits from consuming the whole fruit or vegetable (e.g. fiber). To date, there are not enough studies and evidence on the benefits of juicing. In fact, the American Journal of Medicine has published a case of oxalate-induced acute renal failure caused by juicing (7). Another consideration is food safety. For certain populations, such as people with a compromised immune system, older adults and pregnant women, consuming unpasteurized raw juices could be dangerous by increasing their risk for food poisoning (8).
#4 The Atkins Diet
Atkins is a low- cab diet plan which limits the consumption of carbohydrates and sugars, and replaces them with increased amounts of fats and proteins. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that carbohydrates make up 45 to 65 percent of your total calories per day (9). A common misconception is that all carbohydrates are bad. However, the body uses and needs carbohydrates as fuel sources when these are converted into glucose. Some organs are even glucose dependent. For instance, the brain uses glucose as its main source of energy. Common sources of naturally occurring carbohydrates include grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds and legumes, which have other health benefits such as fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals. While the low-carb diet claims to be successful in helping people to lose weight, its effectiveness has not been supported by qualitative research. A system review on the efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets concluded that there was no sufficient evidence to recommend the use of low-carb diets for more than 90 days, which suggests consuming less than 20 g of carbohydrate per day (10).
Whether you end up choosing the Paleo or the Atkins diet, it is highly probable that you may lose some weight at first. However, the truth is that fad diets often limit or eliminate the consumption of important foods groups: carbohydrates (Atkins), grains (Gluten-free and Paleo), proteins (juicing diet) and dairy products (Paleo). A diet that calls for complete elimination of important food groups is not a healthy diet. Therefore, this cannot be sustained for longer periods of time since it would eventually lead to nutritional deficiencies. Consequently, it is more likely that your weight would bounce back once you resume to your normal eating habits.
Tips for Healthy Weight Loss
So, what is the best way to lose weight? Here are some healthy tips that can help you get started:
- Set realistic goals: A healthy weight loss plan happens gradually not drastically. Choosemyplate.org has great resources on weight management such as the diet supper tracker, which helps you plan, analyze and track your diet, and it is free!
- Make healthy habits, not restrictions: Dieters often need to feel that are being restricted from consuming certain foods to feel that they are on a diet. When in reality, dieting means adopting and choosing healthier options: choosing whole grains rather than white bread, consuming fish and nuts rather red meats, and eating small and frequent meals rather than two big meals a day.
Consume foods from the recommended five groups: It is recommended to consume a diet that is balance, which contains fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low fat dairy products. Chosemyplate.org has the visual representation of how your plate should look: half of your plate should be at least fruits and vegetables and the other half should contain lean meat and whole grains. Low fat dairy products, such as Greek yogurt, are great sources for meeting your dairy.- Consult with a Registered Dietitian: A RD is the expert in food and nutrition. Starting a diet alone and following unrealistic diet plans can put you at risk for further developing nutritional deficiencies.
References:
1. 23 Exceptional Fad Diet Statistics. The HealthResearchFunding.org. Accessed on August 13, 2015. Available at: http://healthresearchfunding.org/23-exceptional-fad-diet-statistics/
2. Williams Geoff. The Heavy Price of Losing Weight. U.S. News and World Report. Jan. 2, 2014. Accessed on August 13, 2015. Available at: http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2013/01/02/the-heavy-price-of-losing-weight
3. Gaesser GA and Angadi SS. Navigating the Gluten-free boom. JAAPA. 2015;28(8):1-7. doi:10.1097/01.JAA.00004692434.67572.a4.
4. Threapleton DE et al. Dietary fiber intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: systemic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2013; 347:f6879
5. Stevens L and Rashid M. Gluten-free and regular foods: a cost comparison. Can J Diet Pract Res. 2008;69(3):147-50
6. Miranda J, Bustamante MA, Churruca l and Simon E. Nutritional differences between a gluten-free diet and a diet containing equivalent products with gluten. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2014;69(2):182-7
7. Getting JE et al. Oxalate Nephropathy Due to “juicing” : Case Report Review. Am J Med. 2013;126(9):768-72
8. Newgent J. The Juicing Trends: Is Raw Juice Safe? HomeFoodandSafety.org. Accessed on August 1, 2015. Available at http://www.homefoodsafety.org/food-poisoning/the-juicing-trend
9. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Accessed on August 12, 2015. Available at http://health.gov/DIETARYGUIDELINES/
10. Bravata DM et al. Efficacy and Safety of low-carbohydrate diets: a systemic review. JAMA. 2003;289(14):1837-50
