In today’s culture there seem to be a new fad diet coming into the scene pretty regularly, weight loss products are heaven sent, and people get sucked in to believing that these things will magically burn fat. There is so much focus on weight loss in our society that people will seriously try anything to shed a few pounds. But according to the academy of nutrition and dietetics, people should stay away from fad diets. They make claims that can influence and persuade consumers into not researching the validity of the diet. Something that today’s society just can’t grasp is “if a diet or product sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. So how does one lose weight in a world filled with “popularity diets”. According to this study people should steer clear of diet plans, pills and products that make erroneous claims.
There is a journal by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that did research on Long- Term Weight Loss Maintenance. There is this general consensus that long term weight loss programs are so difficult to maintain and so short term, like “rapid weight loss” programs are popular right now. We live in a society that expects immediate results, thanks polaroid cameras… But a journal by registered dietician Sharon Denny said that a steady weight loss is more likely to last than dramatic weight changes, it just takes time. If a person loses weight quickly, they are more likely to lose muscle, bone and water and are also more likely to regain the pounds. Doesn’t sound very effective to me. The bigger picture needs to be looked at in regards to weight loss and people can’t get sucked into quick results and what is popular.
The National Weight Control registry is a great resource to use for recommendations on weight control. It encourages members to participate in high levels of physical activity, eating a low calorie, low fat diet, and maintaining consistency. With this type of regimen, individuals have successfully kept their weight loss for 2-5 years which creates a better, healthier lifestyle. Sure it wasn’t immediate results, but with statics proving how counterproductive pills, fast working diet plans and products why do people still buy in to their claims?
Yo-yo dieting, or losing and regaining weight, is so common in the realm of dietetics. Clients don’t want to hear that it may take a long time to get the weight off, possibly even double the amount of time it took them to put it on. I once had a client tell that I wasn’t helpful because I couldn’t just “give him a pill or something.” In the world of instant gratification, health is a marathon. Teaching people the premise of a healthy lifestyle is hard and sometimes the concept doesn’t stick, but its the only truly effective way to improve someone’s weight and health.
Another issue with fad dieting is that it is a big industry. Some people have quit their day jobs and have become “health coaches” through selling products such as Herbalife and Shakeology and promulgate health misinformation through various channels. They are taught these kind of tips in the seminars they go to in order to maximize sales. Some of these companies are borderline pyramid schemes. Herbalife just lost a big lawsuit due to their business practices:
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/business-blog/2016/07/its-no-longer-business-usual-herbalife-inside-look-200
In addition, on the FDA website, the regulation is rather loose in the production of these supplements along with cracking down on any false claims these products make: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm050803.htm.
Healthy habits are taught and not bought. However, since people are wanting a
quick fix and the marketing machine behind these products are so ubiquitous, slow and steady doesn’t win the race in their minds. It also definitely doesn’t help when some of these “nutrition” certifications are supported by people who are concerned with pushing their own products. These are loosely regulated as well. I feel that some of these people who receive a certification from these programs feel that they are on the same level as a registered dietitian which is far from the case. In the end, even though it might be a hopeless fight to wage against fad diets, we must not give up!
I completely agree that people expect these crazy fast results. However, they need to recognize that they didnt just wake up and weigh 400 pounds, and they cannot wake up and be 150 pounds. I think the appeal with the fad diets is that someone always “knows someone who lost weight fast on {blank} diet.” Having someone in your social circle that has tried something that worked can easily influence you to try it as well. No one says “I followed the MyPlate diet and lost a ton of weight fast.” There is no appeal there. I am not sure how we, as future health professionals, can change this, but there is definitely a need. Yet, it is going to be difficult.
Education is severely lacking in this country. More than anything, people expect to immediately lose weight, yet never think about how long it took them to put on the weight. If there are two ways that we need to go about shifting the mindset of people, it’s that weight gain is not immediate, and weight loss diets cause weight gain when you do not come off them properly.
Preaching sustainability and a diet that can be maintained over time is the best way to go about solving the “dieting” problem. People need to understand that a diet is not just for weight loss, but it is actually what you eat on a daily basis no matter what.
It’s true that losing weight too rapidly doesn’t mean losing fat rapidly. Instead of quantity of weight loss, focus should be placed on quality. We want the weight loss mostly from shrinking of fat tissue rather than from loss of muscle, bone, water or even bowl contents. The best way to lose weight, in my opinion, would be moderate caloric restriction and a sound exercise program people can easily stick to. Only in this way can we manage to reserve as much as bone and muscle, which contribute to a healthy basal metabolism and weight loss maintenance. Fad diets, while give amazing weight loss rapidly, don’t address the underlying factors contributing to excessive weight in the first place, and are not likely successful in the long run.