If It's Too Good To Be True, It's A Fad!
How do you recognize a fad diet? The number one sign that it's a fad, is if it screams the word "Quick" anywhere in the copy. If it's legit, it's going to be gradual. Not slow but gradual. Low Carb and low fat diets are notorious for being fads. Extraordinary ingredients usually denote a fad. And hard to believe claims are usually fake.
The next tip that it's a fad is that the spokesperson is famous and pencil slim. Of course there are going to be unflattering shots of the same person looking plump or worse. Oh, and remember the power of the airbrush. Don't you wish you could airbrush adjustments to your life! Those are cosmetic things but the real tip-off is a diet that is out of balance in terms of the recommended levels of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Or that it requires some very odd change in lifestyle like fast like crazy for a period of time and follow it with an eating binge. That's only calculated to give you a problem with your digestive tract and make you feel bad most of the time. Because calories consumed have to equate to calories acquired to maintain your body mass and weight at your present level whatever it may be, any diet that requires a sudden and major drop in calories consumed probably qualifies the plan as a "fad". Most of the high protein diets fall in to this group. Your best and first watchword is caution. Be an educated consumer. We list what we consider fad diets on this page and devote a page to each of the popular diets whether or not we categorize the diet as valuable or a fad. So here are the diets which would ctegorize as fads in no particular order and we point out why we think the way we do. Cabbage Soup Diet Low fat, high fibre. Diet restricted to 7 days. Lack of carbohydrates and proteins constitute an unhealthy balance. South Beach Diet Not as focused on low carbs as Atkins and Zone, but the diet's Phase One is definitely low carb. In the right hands, this diet can become the healthy version of a lower calorie regimen. Atkins Diet Early phases very much a restricted carb diet. Not supported by most of the medical authorities. 3 Day Diet A simple low calorie diet which will not lead to a new lifestyle and long term weight loss. Fat Loss 4 Idiots Low fat - low carb. Flexibility. Support scarce. Grapefruit Diet A version of the Mayo Clinic Diet. Basically low carbs plus grapefruit. The Hollywood Diet Essentially a juice fast with no long term weight loss potential. Zone Diet Low calorie based on a 40:30:30 carbs, proteins, fats ratio at every meal. Complex and difficult to sustain. Chicken Soup Diet Choose from 4 Breakfast menus and as much chicken soup as you want. Unbalanced and not supported by medical authorities. Scarsdale Diet Unhealthy, unsustainable calorie levels. Based on a 44:22.5:34.5 - protein:fat:carb ratio. Low Fat Diet Several low fat diets like Scarsdale. Pritikin and Ornish are examples. Level of fat may not be healthy. Low Carb Diet Anything less than 55-60% carbs. hard to adhere to and my not be healthy over the long term depending on levels included. Apple Cider Vinegar Diet Little evidence to the healing properties of apple cider vinegar.
There are others that can be characterized as fads and some will argue that the ones listed here are not fads. Caveat emptor!
|