Why Fad Diets Don’t Work
Fad diets are a restrictive way to eat to produce rapid weight loss. For most people, they do not work.
When we say they don’t work, we mean that it does not generally produce a positive outcome for long-term health. Fad dieters almost always regain their weight and, in the process, lose confidence in eating. The physical and mental health toll it takes on the individual creates a harmful relationship with food for themselves and their families.
More than ever, wellness experts must consider the psychological effect of the guidance they provide when it comes to food. Mental health promotion should be considered when providing any healthcare advice.
Diet culture attributes absolute thinking when it comes to eating; foods are classified as “good” or “bad”. In psychology, we know that thinking in absolutes any area of life is damaging. In diet culture, it plays out as demonizing a food, food component, or ingredient.
We know that calling food “good or bad” when it comes to eating promotes an unhealthy relationship with food for most people. It has caused more eating disorders and disordered eating among children and adolescents than it has helped promote good health. Absolute-ism regarding food classification, particularly when accompanied by derogatory body image comments creates unintended negative consequences when considering mental health.
How can we care about our total health while avoiding the lures of diet culture?
As nutrition experts that have helped thousands of people with their food intake, we know that empowering people to trust their bodies is a better motivator.
Our bodies are smart! If you take a food biochemistry or human metabolism class, you will learn all the phenomenal ways our bodies maintain homeostasis. The human body wants to live and thrive, so it will shift and pivot when it feels threatened. A sudden shift or change is going to work against the framework of our body’s natural signals.
Mindfulness when it comes to eating takes a gentle approach, which promotes consistent positive behaviors. It also helps the body maintain its own thriving metabolic processes and develops a long-term feeling of accomplishment – a positive mental health benefit.
Before you decide to try a fad diet, ask yourself about the impact it will have on your relationship with food. Also, ask yourself if it is rigid in its approach. And lastly, please consider how your approach to eating affects your children and loved ones.
Our genetic tests are done with the goal of providing an enhanced understanding of your body’s unique design. Our reports are written in a gentle, non-weight-centered format that is empowering and helpful in promoting your health. Learn more about the genetic tests we offer here.
Further reading:
Why Do Dieters Regain Weight? Calorie deprivation alters body and mind, overwhelms willpower. Traci Mann, PhD, American Psychological Association
Physiological and Epigenetic Features of Yoyo Dieting and Weight Control. Front Genet. 2019; 10: 1015. Published online 2019 Dec 11. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01015
Is #cleaneating a healthy or harmful dietary strategy? Perceptions of clean eating and associations with disordered eating among young adults. J Eat Disord. 2019; 7: 17. Published online 2019 Jun 3. doi: 10.1186/s40337-019-0246-2
First, Do No Harm: Understanding Primary Care Providers’ Perception of Risks Associated With Discussing Weight With Pediatric Patients. Glob Pediatr Health. 2021; 8: 2333794X211040979.
Published online 2021 Sep 7. doi: 10.1177/2333794X211040979