Q & A: Ask the Dietitian…

Question: What is the most common fad diet that you get asked about and is there one that you would recommend?

Betsy’s Answer:
There are a lot of fad diets still circulating and people who believe that these quick fixes will produce long term results. Unfortunately most of these diets are just that, fads, which leave the individual with further weight gain and lost hopes. I would say the two most popular fad diets that I get asked about would be the Adkins and South Beach diet. Both diets put an emphasis on higher protein and low carb. There is still the belief out there that carbohydrates are what will lead to weight gain and everyone is scared to eat carbs like pasta, bananas, and potatoes. As a dietitian I work hard to bust that myth. It is not exactly the carb that causes the weight gain, but carbs consumed in excess along with lack of exercise and activity will cause an individual to gain weight. The downside to these two diets is that they can often be very restrictive and lead to people getting bored from the limited food choices. Diets "do" work, but often only temporarily because they are too hard to maintain for life. It is better to find changes in the diet that can be made over a lifetime to produce more long term results.

It is true that there are bits and pieces from each fad diet that will work for individuals. For example the Zone diet emphasized balance from each food group, the S. Beach diet emphasized whole grains and nuts, and the Glycemic index diet emphasizes foods that have a lower glycemic index to better balance blood sugars. There will always be fad diets out there alluring people to believe they are the key to weight loss. The most important thing to remember is that if you cannot maintain that particular diet for life then you should expect the weight to return. Instead I recommend individuals pick a diet that offers enough balance so that they will not get easily bored and provide enough nutrition for them to lose weight safely. Individuals should expect 1-2 lb weight loss a week and diets that promise more than that per week should be looked at cautiously.