With fad diets growing increasingly popular, an alarming number of dieters are choosing to resort to dangerous and desperate measures in order to lose excess weight, but is there really a short-term fix to a long-term problem?
Although resorting to extreme measures may primarily result in rapid weight loss, the effects are only temporary. From a long-term perspective, desperate dieting can not only lead to additional weight gain, it can also pose a severe risk to health as many are forced to develop a multitude of health concerns as a result of their unhealthy actions.
In order to distinguish dangerous dieting from fitness facts, avoid any ‘quick fixes’ that claim, encourage and/or promote the following:
• Promotes rapid weight loss over a short period of time – particularly more than 2lbs per week
• Encourages you to substitute meals for meal replacements, supplements – including vitamins and minerals – or diet pills
• Promotes the elimination or severe limitation of a whole food group i.e. carbohydrates, dairy or protein etc
• Encourages you to base your ‘diet’ on a single food or food group i.e. fat, protein, soup or eggs etc
• Promotes detoxing of any kind – including juicing!
• Promotes a liquid diet i.e. juicing, water or liquid based meals
• Includes the words miracle, quick fix and/or magic fat burning effects
• Uses additional ‘dieting’ products and supplements as the main focal point – these are often sold as the ‘diet’ itself
• Any ‘diet’ that fails to disclose realistic and relevant facts surrounding the health benefits associated with the diet – basing evidence on a single study is not reliable nor trustworthy
• Any ‘diet’ that focuses on appearance and/or uses a celebrity to front their ‘dieting’ campaign – celebrities are paid to be the face of a multitude of products, diets and exercise DVDs with many failing to have any understanding, professional expertise or first hand experience of the item or campaign they are fronting
• Insists that no lifestyle change, exercise or effort is required
• Promotes the avoidance of certain food combinations
• Promotes bizarre food combinations, regimes or superficial treatments i.e. colonic irrigation, body wraps, a chocolate diet or the consumption of non food related items
• Promotes fasting, skipping meals and extreme and unrealistic exercise regimes
• Recommends the same ‘diet’ for everyone – we all have our own individual circumstances, needs, preferences, illnesses, medication and food allergies and intolerances. A single diet will not suit everyone!
• Promotes rapid weight loss over a short period of time – particularly more than 2lbs per week
• Encourages you to substitute meals for meal replacements, supplements – including vitamins and minerals – or diet pills
• Promotes the elimination or severe limitation of a whole food group i.e. carbohydrates, dairy or protein etc
• Encourages you to base your ‘diet’ on a single food or food group i.e. fat, protein, soup or eggs etc
• Promotes detoxing of any kind – including juicing!
• Promotes a liquid diet i.e. juicing, water or liquid based meals
• Includes the words miracle, quick fix and/or magic fat burning effects
• Uses additional ‘dieting’ products and supplements as the main focal point – these are often sold as the ‘diet’ itself
• Any ‘diet’ that fails to disclose realistic and relevant facts surrounding the health benefits associated with the diet – basing evidence on a single study is not reliable nor trustworthy
• Any ‘diet’ that focuses on appearance and/or uses a celebrity to front their ‘dieting’ campaign – celebrities are paid to be the face of a multitude of products, diets and exercise DVDs with many failing to have any understanding, professional expertise or first hand experience of the item or campaign they are fronting
• Insists that no lifestyle change, exercise or effort is required
• Promotes the avoidance of certain food combinations
• Promotes bizarre food combinations, regimes or superficial treatments i.e. colonic irrigation, body wraps, a chocolate diet or the consumption of non food related items
• Promotes fasting, skipping meals and extreme and unrealistic exercise regimes
• Recommends the same ‘diet’ for everyone – we all have our own individual circumstances, needs, preferences, illnesses, medication and food allergies and intolerances. A single diet will not suit everyone!
Opting for a fad diet, ‘miracle pill' or bizarre craze can lead to ill health, malnutrition and potential death. Successful, sustainable weight loss is based on a combination of healthy and realistic lifestyle changes, and an increase in physical activity. Never allow your desperation to become a danger.
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