Now that it is a new year, along with it comes a lot of information and advertisement for the newest “fad diet.” Fad diets include anything from the keto diet, south beach diet, zone diet, to paleo, low fat, low carb, and even the cabbage soup diet. Everyone is trying to start their year off right and kick their old habits. There is so much influence from social media, TV, and other people that grab your attention and make you believe “this will be the diet that works for me.”
“Research has shown that 95% of all diets fail”
It’s not because you “don’t have the will power” or you “didn’t push yourself hard enough.” They are designed to be exactly what they are called, a “fad.” They are designed to be a quick fix that may give you results; however, it has been shown time and time again that much of the weight that has been lost will be regained after you are no longer following the fad on the diet. “Weight regain is generally the rule, with one‐third to two‐thirds of the weight lost being regained within 1 year and almost all is regained within 5 years.” There are also long-term studies showing that dieting in childhood can lead to obesity and weight gain in adulthood. Some of these diets would be a good general idea to apply to your daily eating such as avoiding processed foods or foods high in saturated fat, but thinking that one certain diet is going to dramatically cause you to lose weight is just unrealistic.
Diet Culture
There is a sense of “diet culture” that is created when people share things on social media and the conversations you hear from people at the grocery store or people you work with or honestly, anywhere you are for that matter. They are sharing information that they may have heard from unreliable sources. It’s not your fault, it has become a side effect of a society that is so fast paced and people are looking for instant gratification. This is where a registered dietitian can help you to provide you with reliable information that is evidence based to help guide you in making changes.
Dieting doesn’t have to be this big, scary idea that comes across your mind a few times a year. Weight loss and dieting is not something that happens overnight, and expecting rapid results is setting yourself up for failure. Fad diets aren’t meant to leave you with sustainable lifestyle changes. Making small, realistic goals that can lead to behavior change that lasts is where you will find the most success.
References:
Quote adapted from Becca Bristow, MS, RDN, LDN
G. Dulloo, J. P. Montani. Pathways from dieting to weight regain, to obesity and to the metabolic syndrome: an overview. World Obesity. 16 (Suppl. 1), 1–6, February 2015