After seeing countless advertisements and news reports on the latest fad product (many of which I have written about in the past), I was so glad to hear a news bulletin today stating that the Federal Government’s Health Task-force is introducing much stricter guidelines that weight loss products must adhere to. This came about after the government found no credible proof that fad dieting is viable. This notion has been backed by the Dietitians Association of Australia, and certainly by us at Amino Z.
My thoughts on the matter - it’s about time!
I’m not entirely sure what the new guidelines are just yet, but with so many bogus products currently on the market, it’s no wonder that so much time and money is wasted on products that promise the world and often deliver very little.
Fad diets do not work – period. Some people may be successful in losing weight following a fad diet, however this is due to changed lifestyle habits and not the fad diet itself. The fad diet can sometimes be responsible for a shift in one’s attitude and act as a cornerstone in developing a new long-term approach to weight loss. Fad diets, in themselves, are short-term, quick-fixes that have no long-term viability.
Nearly three years ago, I wrote one of our most popular articles, “Fad Diet, Fad Result“. After having published this article, I followed it up with a more objective take on the subject with “Yo-Yo Dieting, No-No Dieting“. Both cover exactly the same topics, because fad dieting is what paves the way to yo-yo dieting.
Fad dieting will not deliver desirable long-term results. The reason is because in reality, such diets cannot be adhered to on a long-term basis. For example, I am yet to meet anyone who is able to live happily and consistently off one whole-food meal a day and two protein shakes for more than a year. In theory, they sound great, but in the real world, they are just not viable.
As a result of following such an approach as advocated by many extremely unhealthy fad diets currently available within Australia, this can cause muscle loss and a lowering in your metabolic rate. The reduction in your metabolic rate effectively means that you process less calories per day – making it much easier to gain the weight back on. In some circumstances, you can actually begin to break down organ tissues, which can cause permanent long-term damage. In addition to all of this, there are a plethora of other health risks that you run when continually following diets of this nature.
It is no wonder that people who go from one fad diet to the next (commonly known as yo-yo dieting) gain more weight than what they lose. Initially, they may lose a significant degree of body-weight quickly (which can be extremely unhealthy in itself), but upon coming off that fad diet and re-initiating old lifestyle habits, the body-fat will inevitably pile back on. Unfortunately, this results in two of the most common frustrations of dieters:
As a professional in the industry, I can completely understand that fad diets can be very tempting, especially when you feel that you have exhausted all other options. It can be so tough when you feel like a failure. But you have to understand that the healthiest, most sustainable and viable approach is to redevelop your lifestyle.
If you feel completely lost and overwhelmed, here is a good place to start, How to Lose Weight.
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