What are fad diets? Understanding the health risk — and how to avoid them
If you’ve come across a diet plan that promises quick results and sounds too good to be true, it's probably because it is. Fad diets are notorious for marketing themselves as the key to achieving your dream body, when in reality, “they are difficult to sustain and, ultimately, they deprive you of the essential nutrients that only balanced eating can offer,” per Better Health.
What is fad dieting?
Fad diets are weight loss plans that promise dramatic results, often through restrictive or unusual food choices. These diets are often accompanied by marketing tactics, like celebrity endorsements or the promise of a secret ingredient that works miracles, causing these diets to typically gain popularity quickly and fade away as people realize that the promises are hard to keep and the results are not sustainable.
“Oftentimes, fad diets will be based on some bit of information learned in research but will exploit it to such an extreme that it’s no longer scientifically sound,” registered dietitian Maxine Smith told Cleveland Clinic.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics included these warning signs when deciphering a fad diet from a nutritious diet:
Promises of rapid weight loss: Fad diets often claim to help you lose a significant amount of weight quickly. These claims are usually unrealistic and unhealthy.
Restrictive food choices: They often eliminate entire food groups or focus excessively on a particular food or food group (like the boiled egg diet.)
No need for exercise: Many fad diets suggest that you can lose weight without exercising, which contradicts the principles of healthy weight management.
Strict rules: They tend to have rigid rules about what you can and cannot eat, making them difficult to follow and potentially leading to nutritional deficiencies.
Short-term results: While some people may experience initial weight loss, fad diets are generally not effective for long-term weight management. The weight is often quickly regained once standard eating patterns resume.
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The dangers of fad diets
“We all want things fast and easy, so the idea that you could actually drop 10 pounds in 10 days is alluring. But don’t give in to false advertising,” Banner Health warned, adding caution to the following health risks fad diets can bring:
Lack of sustainability: Most of these diets are not intended to give long-term benefits. This lack of sustainability can lead to a cycle of dieting and weight gain, which is detrimental to overall health.
Harmful to your mental health: Fad diets can trigger disordered eating behaviors, especially in individuals predisposed to eating disorders. The extreme focus on food, weight and body image can lead to conditions like anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder.
Harmful to your physical health: Rapid weight loss, which is often promised by fad diets, can be harmful and lead to health issues. Rapid weight loss is also typically unsustainable and can cause a person to repeatedly lose and regain weight, which can be stressful on the body and harmful to long-term metabolic health.
How to have a balanced diet
The Mayo Clinic advised three key elements to look out for when looking for a healthy weight loss plan:
Variety: “A healthy diet includes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean protein, nuts and seeds, and even a sweet treat once in a while,” the Mayo Clinic said. “To ensure you’re getting the right amount of nutrients to nourish your body, choose a plan that includes all of the food groups. It also is important your eating pattern is appealing and tasty. Otherwise, it won’t be something you’ll stick with.”
Exercise: It is important to include exercise in a diet or weight management plan. Exercising helps maintain weight loss by boosting metabolism and building muscle.
Lasting plans: Choose a plan that has a long-term lifespan — a diet that makes you feel good and has lasting benefits.
