Fad Diets, are they doing more harm than good?
Today’s society is focused on looking thin. Many people’s
desire to look thin causes them to turn to diet pills and/or fad diets.
However, most people do not realize that these fad diet or pills are actually
causing more harm than good.
Diet
Pills
Most diet pills are not approved by the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration). What this means as a consumer is that most of these pills have
never been proven to cause effective weight loss or have even been proven to be
SAFE. In fact, these diet pills are not pulled off the market until enough
people have had harmful side effects to prove the product is harmful. The FDA
has found hundreds products to be tainted with harmful ingredients.
Fad
Diets
Always hearing about the newest diet, and hoping it will work
for you? Many diets that promise quick weight loss involve cutting out major
food groups and extreme calorie restriction. While you may loss a few pounds
fast, you are probably going to gain the weight you lost just as fast plus a
few extra pounds. The reason why is because your resting metabolic rate (how
many calories your body burn at rest) declines in attempt to keep your body
from starving. In fact, a person’s resting metabolic rate is still lower even
after 12 weeks of normal food consumption. When choosing a healthier lifestyle,
avoid “diets” that promise the following:
- Rapid Weight Loss
- Eliminates whole food groups
- Uses specific food combinations
- Have rigid menus that are hard to follow
- No need to exercise
Looking
for a Healthier Lifestyle
Eat well balance meals that include lots of fruits and
veggies, looking at the USDA MyPlate is a great starting point.
Start aerobic exercise (such as walking, swimming, and biking)
and resistance exercises (such as lifting weights). Aerobic and resistance
exercise will let you burn more calories during the exercise and will increase
your resting metabolic rate (so you burn more calories while sitting or
sleeping).
Lastly, be HAPPY WITH YOU!
Created by Shelby Young, Dietetic Intern
Resources
Marie Dunfaord and J. Andrew Doyle, Nutrition for Sports and Exercise
