What You Need to Know about the Most Popular Weight Loss Diets

BuzzJuly 11, 2018

Diet fads are everywhere – from television commercials, print ad campaigns to online posts and ad, rapid weight-loss guarantees are practically plastered on every corner. However, according to the CDC, fad diets can limit nutritional intake, are unhealthy, and always seem to fail in the long run. Though these fads give fast and easy results, they can regrettably represent only a short-term dietary change while can also pose risks to their health in the long run.

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American Academy of Family Physicians emphasizes that the effects and results of each fad diet or even weight loss management technique vary from one person to another. And since many consumers have been trapped with these fads and are even willing to share their insights as well as their first-hand experiences about joining the bandwagon of diet fads, we thought of rounding up the following things you need to know about certain weight loss diets and programs.

If fad diets don’t work, why are they so popular?

People are often willing to try anything that promises to help them lose weight and get back to their hour-glass figure. And since they want to look or feel better, or because they are worried about getting weight-related diseases, they can easily fall into common weight loss traps.
Companies that promote fad diets take advantage of this circumstance and urge. They appeal to people by guaranteeing weight loss that’s very quick and easy. Many people prefer to try the quick fix of a fad diet instead of making the effort to lose weight through long-term changes in their eating and exercise habits. Because of the very busy lifestyle they have, they resort to programs and options that can help them achieve what they want in a snap of a finger.

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Fad diets also become popular because many of them work for a short amount of time. In many cases, this is because when you stop eating certain types of food or eat “special” combinations of foods, you are getting fewer calories than you normally would. You are also paying more attention to what you are eating.

However, it’s likely that much of the weight you lose is water and lean muscle, not from body fat. Also, most people are not able to keep up with the demands of a diet that strictly limits their food choices or requires them to eat the same foods over and over again. People who use fad diets usually end up gaining back any weight that they initially lost. The struggle to “rebounds” is real.

How can I recognize fad diets?

According to American Academy of Family Physicians, it is a steer clear of diet fads or weight loss products if such do any of the following:

Claim to help you lose weight very quickly (more than 1 or 2 pounds per week). Remember, it takes time for you to gain unwanted weight and therefore, it will take even more time to lose it.
Promise that you can lose weight and keep it off without giving up “fatty” foods or exercising on a regular basis. If a diet plan or product sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
Base claims on “before and after” photos.
Offer testimonials from clients or “experts” in weight loss, science, or nutrition. Remember that these people are probably being paid to advertise the diet plan or product.
Draw simple conclusions from the complex medical research.
Limit your food choices and don’t encourage you to get balanced nutrition by eating a variety of foods.
Require you to spend a lot of money on things like seminars, pills, or prepackaged meals in order for the plan to work.

This infographic exhibits the comparative presentation of the effects and benefits of weight and fat losses.

weight loss diet Healthy eating is one of the best things you can do to prevent and control health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. More so, it lets you get the nutrients you need to keep you going all day long and achieve optimum health.

The key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight isn’t about short-term dietary changes. It’s about a lifestyle that includes healthy eating, regular physical activity, and balancing the number of calories you consume with the number of calories your body uses.

The bottom line is that staying in control of your weight contributes to your current health condition as you age.