How One Can Avoid Fad Diets
A diet that is written only to be followed for a short time is called categorized as one of the fad diets. Fad diets are also diets that quickly become wildly popular, last for a short time, then become a footnote in popular culture. Examples include the grapefruit diet, the South Beach diet, and Jenny Craig.
Fad diets are sometimes known as food fad-ism. A food fad is a phenomenon in which some food or category of food suddenly becomes very popular. These generally have some common elements, including:
- The food is attributed with miraculous powers.
- Many other foods are completely eliminated from the diet, because they are thought to have negative properties.
The Atkins diet displays the characteristics of one of these fad diets. Carbohydrates are avoided like the plague, because a carbohydrate low diet can do amazing things for your body. At the same time, carbohydrates are the miraculous element — actually the lack of carbohydrates because it creates a metabolic state in which the body burns fat at an amazing pace. Although it is a long-term diet, it did have short phases during which carbohydrate cutting was taken to the extreme. Unlike many fad diets the Atkins diet was designed to be something a person could stick to for a long period of time.
As with many fad diets Atkins rose quickly and fell just as quickly. For a number of years the Atkins diet was everywhere, and everyone seemed to be following it . Entertainment magazines were full of movie stars and music stars and sports stars who claimed amazing weight loss and fitness all due to the Atkins diet. Although still around today, the diet is far from as popular as it was at its height.
There are many risks associated with fad diets. Even a seemingly healthy diet like the Subway diet could be dangerous. It was based on the legend of Jared, a young man who’d lost nearly 250 pounds in only a year by eating Subway sandwiches, baked chips, and diet soda. In reality Jared cut his caloric intake from over 10,000 calories a day to only 900. Such an extreme level of caloric intake cuts and rapid weight loss is unhealthy. Even so, the Subway diet when followed in moderation can work. Particularly because the diet included exercise — Jared walked 6 miles a day while losing the weight.
Approach fad diets with caution. A healthy combination of reasonable diet and exercise in the long-term can help you lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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