What are the Problems with Fad Diets?
To start fad dieting, you must be aware of its varieties and how it can affect your health. Let's find out more.
Fad diets have been trendy in recent years. It is due to the increase in obesity, the use of social media, and societal pressure to lose weight. Fad diets are presented as a cure for rapid weight loss and health changes. Most fad diets restrict what you can eat and can damage your health. Fad diets are not easy to discover and hide behind false scientific assertions. Fad diets problems include being hungry all the time, weakness, negatively affecting your health, etc.
So, what are the fad diets? If a diet seems too good to be true, it's probably a fad diet. Some fad diets are low-carb, extremely low-fat, and high-protein. Some promote a high food intake, such as grapefruit or celery juice. Others will focus on eliminating certain foods. People with little knowledge of long-term health effects create fad diets.
What are The Different Types of Fad Diets?
A fad diet is a type of plan where you eat a very restrictive diet with few foods or an unusual combination of foods for a short period and often lose weight very quickly. However, most people get fed up, overeat, choose less healthy foods, and gain pounds again.
Fad diets are considered diets that tend to become popular for a certain period, such as a few years or even decades, and then become replaced by another diet theory that may be very different (or opposite) compared to the previous diet. Fad diets usually fall into two categories: low-carb/high-protein or high-carb/low-fat diets.
Examples of popular fad diets include:
Macrobiotic diet
South Beach Diet
Atkins diet
Ornish Diet
Zone diet
Master Cleanse Diet
Vegan diet or vegetarian diet
The DASH Diet
Even the Paleo and the gluten-free diet—becoming increasingly popular in the past five to 10 years—are considered "fads" by some health researchers.
4 Threats of Fad Diets
These are some problems with the fad diet:
It Could Leave You Weak, Hungry, and Vulnerable
Because fad diet plans are commonly offered to people who want to lose weight, they are often restrictive and low in energy. However, most fad diets fail because of not getting the appropriate amount of calories your body requires, based on variables like your activity level and genetics, which can backfire—for example, by putting you in a metabolic state often called "starvation mode."
Remember, just because the number on the scale may drop doesn't mean it's a good thing. A reduction in subcutaneous adipose tissue (body fat) is associated with modifications in markers such as insulin sensitivity. Still, weight loss alone may mean losing mass from other areas you should not be.
It Can Negatively Affect the Hormonal Cycle and Your Metabolism
Not getting enough food for your body's needs can trigger an initial drive to increase your calorie intake quickly. When you don't respond to these signals, studies have found that you can experience a slowing of your metabolism, which makes you more likely to gain weight.
It Can Increase Anxiety and Stress About Food Choices
Fad diets that cut calories too low can reduce your ability to use the energy (calories) from the food you eat because it sends hormonal signals to your body to conserve energy due to perceived starvation. Some fad diets associated with not eating enough for more than a short period include sleep problems, infertility, acne, body fat gain, decreased strength, and even depression.
Most fad diets fail because you may have noticed that both your mental abilities and mood suffer due to a lack of sleep and energy. One thing you need to ask yourself is how "black and white" your thinking tends to be when it comes to food choices. If you believe that only one diet is the best and the be-all and end-all of health, it's easy to become censorious. And this decision is not only applied to other people who do not follow the same diet but can also be turned against you, causing remorse when you "slip up."
Studies have found that dieters often feel remorse or guilt for "falling off the wagon" and that shame associated with eating behavior is the strongest predictor of eating disorders.
It Can be Inefficient and a Waste of Time!
It's tempting to get the idea that one unique way of eating, one food group, or one form of dietary restriction is "good"—the answer you've been looking for—while others are "bad." But it's much smarter to keep an open mind and stay loose. After all, even if studies support the benefits of certain diets, that doesn't mean they're crucial or helpful for everyone because we're all a little different.
For example, if you have an intolerance, allergy, or sensitivity to dairy or gluten, it makes sense to dodge these foods. But if you're perfectly okay eating them in restraint, especially if the rest of your diet is balanced and shows no indications of causing you any health issues, in that case, it might be meaningless to avoid these things altogether. Always remember that fad diets tend to get people excited and convince them that they have to follow that diet or risk it.
Conclusion
Fad diets are usually very restrictive, unsustainable, unlikely to teach you any lasting healthy habits, and possibly even destructive. Examples of fad diets include DASH, Paleo, gluten-free, Atkins, the Zone, and the South Beach diet. Fad diets problems are normal to appear as soon as you start them and can be dangerous. Instead of trying a fad diet, it is recommended to consider a transitional elimination diet if you have digestive issues, a short-term ketogenic diet if you want to lose weight, or an inflammatory diet that is both sustainable and protective.
