| |
Fad Dieting: Is it Healthy or Effective?
Fad dieting has as its emphasis quick weight loss. Things like the grapefruit diet, cabbage soup diet, Adkins diet, Scarsdale diet and the list goes on have been around for years. Inspite of all these diets overweight and obesity continue to be problems in many countries across the world.
More Common Dieting Programs
This is a list of the more common diets with a description of how they work and then how effective they are.
- Probably the most popular fad dieting program is the Atkins Diet. This diet works on the theory that if you consume a lower amount of carbohydrates, you’ll lose a large amount of weight in less time than most other diets.
This controversial diet is reportedly able to give you some positive results. The biggest problem with this diet is that it is very restrictive as it limits fruits, veggies and grains which account for 1/2 the food you usually eat. So, it is difficult to maintain and quickly becomes boring. Also, the nutrition quality of eating mainly dairy products, meats and fats is questionable and far from ideal.
- Another fad diet is the Medifast diet. This diet revolves around drinking shakes and eating prepackaged meals. If the only foods eaten are these prepackaged meals weight loss will result. This diet is quite high in cost about $12/day.
- Then there’s the NutriSystem diet. Their quick and convenient pre-packaged meals come in many different dishes, which is what sets it apart from most of the diet programs out there – choice and variety! It may be effective, but so is good, old-fashioned, fresh, healthy food - and it’s cheaper.
- South Beach Diet is another pre-packaged meal program offered to those who want to lose weight. This program is much like the Atkins Diet, where low carb intake seems to be the key to losing a ton of weight fast. These meals can be found in your local grocery aisles, so you don’t have to order them and have them shipped to your house.
- Then we come to the ever popular Slim-Fast. Why do some of these programs insist on putting “fast” in the name of their products? To sell better, of course. This product comes in powder form that you can add to skim milk to make weight loss shakes.
These only skim the list of the many fad dieting programs out there today. Be sure to check with your doctor before embarking on one of these diet adventures. Make sure it’s healthy for you before you take a chance and possibly risk your health. More important, educate yourself about eating a healthy and balanced diet and don’t rely on any one system that tries to guarantee a quick and easy solution.
Remember, unless you change your diet and increase your exercise level permanently the weight will not stay off.
Related Articles:
What is a safe weight loss program
Natural weight loss supplement that targets fat loss not muscle.
Eat to lower blood sugar with the glycemic index
Fish Oil and Weight Loss: Can Fish Oil Really Help You Lose Weight?
return from fad dieting to Nutritional Supplements That Won't Risk Your Health or Harm Your Family?
|
