The Role of Fad Diets
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The Role of Fad Diets
The food we eat is essential for a healthy body. Failure to acquire the proper nutrients affects the body’s metabolism resulting in declining health. Overconsumption of food results in unwanted health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, among others (Denton, 2016). People have embraced various kinds of diet to achieve specific goals. Many people associate dieting and thinness with good health. As obesity is among the health concerns associated with unhealthy eating, food marketing created a fad industry to facilitate weight loss (Alexander, 2016). Hence, this paper discusses how fad diets affect one’s overall nutritional health.
Obesity is among the nutritional conditions that affect health. About 70% of the population struggle with overweight or are obese (“Choosing a Safe …”, 2021). Many people try different approaches to lose that weight via various programs and diet. However, different fad dieting plans promise fast results. On the contrary, these diets can be unhealthy as they limit one’s nutritional intake (“Healthy Weight, Nutrition …”, 2021). Short term dietary changes are not sustainable in maintaining health and weight management. A healthy lifestyle is an effective long-term approach to weight management.
Moreover, all fad diets available have their pros and corn. The paleo diet discourages processed food and encourages eating whole foods. Foods that were not available in the palaeolithic period are assumed to be harmful to health. The diet is essential in maintaining healthy blood pressure and electrolyte balance. However, removing entire food portions may cause vital nutrient being excluded from the diet. Also, a ketosis diet aims to get the body into ketosis mode to burn fat instead of sugar. The diet allows weight loss as the body burns body fat. However, a keto diet may cause kidney damage due to high nitrogen excretion levels (Margolis, 2020). Consumers are advised to proceed with caution. Also, Whole30 is a diet plan that allows users to reset their body by removing processed foods from their diet for thirty days. The diet pros help promote a healthy psychological response, promote a healthy hormonal response, and support a healthy gut. The cons are that it is very restrictive and difficult to follow.
A vegan diet, on the other hand, is entirely void of animal products. However, it helps in weight loss and encourages mindful eating. The disadvantage is that there are possible nutrient deficiencies (Lehman, 2020). Besides, the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest of them all. It promotes weight management, reduced inflammatory responses and promotes health. However, some people may struggle with dietary restrictions such as amounts of red meat. Therefore, due to the cons associated with them, users are advised taking caution while using them.
On the other hand, there are myths associated with fad diets. However, the diets do not work for permanent weight loss. Also, high protein diets for weight loss programs are unhealthy and may result in heart diseases (Lumen Learning, n.d.). Also, assumptions that certain foods burn fat are false and misleading. Also, popular foods may not be entirely safe. It s advisable for consumers to chose weight management strategies that are healthy, effective and safe (“What You Should …”, n.d.). Some of the approaches to manage to weigh include optimal sleep, regular physical activity and healthy eating habits.
In conclusion, the foods we consume have a significant impact on the body. Different fad diets used to facilitate weight loss may have adverse health effects on health. People should seek expert advice when taking up a dieting plan to facilitate weight loss. Also, it is healthier and sustainable to eat more whole foods and less processed foods.
References
Alexander, L. (2016, June 23). The Unquestioned Pursuit of Weight Loss Had Us Eating Wrong for Years. Retrieved March 02, 2021, from NEXT: https://howwegettonext.com/the-unquestioned-pursuit-of-weight-loss-had-us-eating-wrong-for-years-e43a0e60a1
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021, January 11). Healthy Weight, Nutrition, and Physical Activity. Retrieved March 02, 2021, from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html
Denton, C. (2016). How Does Food Impact Health? Retrieved March 02, 2021, from University of Minnesota: https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-does-food-impact-health#:~:text=If%20we%20get%20too%20much,is%20central%20to%20our%20health.
Lehman, S. (2020, November 30). Pros and Cons of a Vegan Diet. Retrieved March 02, 2021, from VeryWellFit: https://www.verywellfit.com/health-benefits-and-risks-of-eating-vegan-4104567
Lumen Learning. (n.d.). Myths and Misconceptions about Nutrition. Retrieved March 02, 2021, from Lumen Learning: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/diseaseprevention/chapter/myths-and-misconceptions-about-nutrition/
Margolis, S. (2020). Diets Decoded: Paleo, Ketogenic And Whole30. Retrieved March 02, 2021, from Moms Into Fitness: https://www.momsintofitness.com/why-do-diets-work-paleo-ketogenic-whole30/
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). (2021, March 02). Choosing a Safe and Successful Weight-loss Program. Retrieved from National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK): https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/choosing-a-safe-successful-weight-loss-program
Nutrition.gov:US Department Of Agriculture. (n.d.). What You Should Know About Popular Diets. Retrieved March 02, 2021, from Nutrition.gov:US Department Of Agriculture: https://www.nutrition.gov/topics/healthy-living-and-weight/what-you-should-know-about-popular-diets
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