Module 2: Inquiry Research FAD Diets

Module 2: Inquiry Research

FAD Diets

The definition of a FAD Diet is rather subjective. The term 'fad' is often used to describe diets that are extreme, claim miracle weight loss and go against advice from health professionals. However, a fad diet can quite simply be a weight loss plan that becomes very popular (quickly) and then they may fail (quickly) to provide long term, healthy weight loss.

Recognizing a Fad Diet

Fad Diets often use the words 'easy', 'effortless', 'guaranteed', 'miraculous', 'breakthrough', 'mysterious', 'exclusive' or 'secret', or phrases such as 'New discovery', 'Eat all you want and still lose weight!'.

So what is it that you mostly lose when following radical diets or those that 'contradict health professional advise'? The answer is water, glycogen stores and lean muscles mass.

Common problems with Fad Diets

imbalanced diets - 

may recommend that carbohydrate, protein and fat be eaten in quantities that contradict advice from nutritionists and dietitians. Weight loss may be experienced initially, but because the diet does not provide the right quantities of each nutrient, the body will adjust, producing a negative effect on metabolism, health and, got the dancer, performance.

A Rapid Weight Loss Diet -

based on exotic-sounding herb supplement, cannot aid weight loss when the diet is high in fat and sugar. Natural and safe herbs and supplements may subtly promote a healthier metabolic rate, but dramatic claims of rapid weight loss can be dangerous and untrue. And Short-term.

A Low-Calorie Diet - 

encourages the body to lower the metabolic rate in order to conserve energy, especially if the calorie falls below the resting metabolic rate. Our bodies are very good at adapting to our environment. The less you eat, the less you need.  

A Restrictive Diet -

that eliminates or avoids certain food groups will not only be difficult to follow in the long term, but also encourage nutritional deficiencies that would affect health, performance and metabolism. Weight is often regained once the diet is no longer followed, and in many cases subjects weigh more than when they started the diet, as their metabolism has been affected.

A Miracle Diet - 

not backed up by scientific studies, may nevertheless seen logical in some cases, but claims are often based on basic knowledge that has been altered slightly to create a statement that is no longer accurate. You can't put 2 and 2 together to get 4.5!

Yo-Yo Dieting - 

is a term used to describe dieting practices whereby a person may undertake several food restriction and fasting, followed by overeating. Each time the person stops dieting, weight returns, and often the dieter weighs more that ever before. When you fast or severely restrict your intake for long periods of time, the body reserves energy. When you overeat, the body is much more likely to store those calories as body fat, as it thinks it may experience another episode of fasting. Body weight fluctuates, thus your metabolism is affected.

Different Ways of Losing Weight

In a Healthy Balanced Diet, focus is placed on reducing weight whilst promoting long-term lifestyle changes that encourage long-term successful results, healthily. There is no need to change the of food eaten once the person's ideal weight is reached. 

In a Fad Diet, focus is placed on quick, flash-style weight loss for short-term and (semi) successful results, most often, unhealthily. The diet cannot be sustained on a long term basis.

Ironically, it is often the fad diet can be labelled 'long and boring'. It can become tedious and repetitive owing to it's restriction or elimination of certain foods. 

If a diet is restrictive, avoids certain food groups, is imbalanced, has a very low calorie intake or is based on a miracle herb, it is very unlikely to work in the long term. Restrictive diets cannot be followed over a long period, so dieters often regain weight because they do not know what they should be eating once the diet is stopped. Additionally, rapid weight loss and excessive calorie restriction can result in muscle loss and slower metabolism, making it harder to keep the weight off. Moreover, the body has by then adopted a 'survival' mechanism, and needs fewer calories to carry out every day functions. It is also very likely that the dieter has become deficient in many different vitamins and minerals, and will not be performing at their best. They may feel healthy and energized at the beginning of the diet, but unfortunately this is not long-lasting, and the consequences of a poor diet will be just around the corner!

Fortunately, the effects of a restrictive diet can be reversed in most cases, and a gradual introduction of a varied diet, combined with exercise, will correct nutritional deficiencies and encourage the metabolic rate to function effectively. 

Here are some examples of popular diets: 

The Zone Diet

The idea of relaxed metabolic and mental 'zone' was created by Barry Sears.

Principle: 40% Carbohydrates, 30% Protein, 30% Fat

Claims to:

• Promote weight loss
• Increase mental focus
• Increase physical performance

What Experts Point Out:

• Very strict quantities of food portioned into blocks at particular times of the day
• Unhealthy attitudes to foods by categorising foods as good or bad rather than 'eat plenty of' or 'just small amounts of'
• Total calories average at 1300kcal -  some menus are as low as 850kcal per day, making it a very low calorie diet in disguise. Many menus fall below the resting metabolic rate, thus reducing the metabolic rate and making it hard to keep the weight off. 
• Relies on  unproven claims that have not been published in scientific journals.

SHORT TERM WEIGHT LOSS?          YES!

LONG TERM WEIGHT LOSS?             NO!

LONG AND TEDIOUS?                        YES! 

The Grapefruit Diet

Created in 1930's Hollywood, and one of the oldest and most discussed Hollywood fad diets.

Principle: Involves large quantities of grapefruit and small amounts of black coffee, the odd piece of dry toast, egg and, when generous, fish or meat in the evening. Calorie intake is restricted about 800kcal per day. It is based on the idea that grapefruit has 'fat-burning enzymes'.

Claims to:

• Promote rapid weight loss

What The Experts Point Out:

• Very narrow range of foods 
• Imbalanced diet leading to many nutrient deficiencies 
• Grapefruit has no 'fat-burning power'
• No scientific basis to claim that grapefruit has these 'special' properties. It is a healthy food along side other fruits and vegetables.
• A very low-calorie diet, which results in a lowered metabolic rate.
• Does not promote healthy eating therefore once the diet is abandoned, weight is often regained, and dieters often weight more that when they started the diet.

SHORT TERM WEIGHT LOSS?          YES!

LONG TERM WEIGHT LOSS?             NO!

LONG AND TEDIOUS?                        MOST DEFINITELY!

From these examples, it is clear that some fad diets are wildly extreme and very imaginative, while others are are quite similar to what health professionals consider to be a balanced diet. Many other fad diets are available on the web, in books and in magazines: The Cambridge Diet, Slim Fast ... the list is endless. However, just because a diet has a name doesn't always mean it is unhealthy. In the end, the best diet is a balanced diet - and your body will be more than happy to agree with you.