Atkins, Gluten-Free, The South Beach, The Zone, Paleo.
Do these sound familiar?
Its just a short list of fad diets youve probably heard at least someone talking about.
But what is it that about these food fads that keeps them coming back?
Registered dietician Lori Smart with Health BC says the reason why fad diets keep popping up is because people are always looking for a new way to better themselves.
A lot of the popularity around fad diets come from ones own personal beliefs that this is a diet that would be healthy for them, or this is a diet that would help them lose weight, she says.
Smart adds they seem to crop up more often this time of year, when people coming out of the winter are looking to make lifestyle changes or lose weight and are looking for a way to do it.
She says a big contributor is the internet.
With so much information on the web it can be very, very hard to figure out whats true, whats not true or whats beneficial, whats potentially harmful.
Smart says its important to remember that some of these diets are meant for people with clinical conditions, for example people with celiac disease must eat a gluten-free diet, or people suffering from cardiovascular disease might take special care about what they eat.
It may be turned into a fad diet because others believe its beneficial, but they could really have a benefit for that person with the food condition.
She says if youre interested in trying a new diet you read about online, or have heard from a friend has tried it, its still best to speak to a healthcare provider, physician, dietician, or by calling 8-1-1 the nurses line. She recommends asking questions such as:
And she says its important to have an honest conversation about it.
Certain diets are okay as long as youre aware of the things, or the nutrients that you might be missing out on if you follow that diet. Now some are just not healthy in general, but thats why its always good to talk to a health care provider, especially a dietitian who has been trained in this area to help you navigate that information and then to point you to some resources that if you choose to continue follow that diet, you can do so safely.
Smart adds this is important because its also a good way to prevent yourself from falling off your new routine.
Its usually that people start off really strong and then they end up falling back on old eating patterns, she says.
Id say some [diets] are easy to follow, most are not easy to follow because a lot of them end up eliminating a food group or they become overly restrictive or they require a lot of extra work and preparation, which is why we always recommend that when youre thinking about going on, or adopting a different way of eating, you look at something that would be more sustainable long term.
Smart says if you plan on giving up something you love like bread, maybe try phasing it out so you dont end up breaking down and give up entirely
Smart says that means if, say, youre trying to cut out carbohydrates that you do it in steps, set yourself small goals, and work out a pattern that you can stick to.
As for the future of fad diets? She says it doesnt look like they are going anywhere.
The food industry, the nutrition industry, all of these things keep coming up, so theres all these new and better ways of doing things, she says, but adds that is constantly being mixed with opinions and peoples personal beliefs.
What I would hope is that theres more information available so that consumers and individuals can make informed choices about what they want to do with their own diet and lifestyle and then seek out advice and help from a health care professional.
But Registered Holistic Nutritionist Bridgette Clare raises caution, warning theres a never ending supply of new fad diets, not all of them created equal.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. They promise weight loss in seven days, or thirty days, or its the new miracle, that sort of thing thats simply isnt the truth, she says.
Clare says rather than focusing on excluding things, we should be looking at ways to include healthy, whole foods into our diets
Clare says the key is a well-balanced diet that isnt restrictive to the point of being uncomfortable.
The reason being is that even if you were to stick with it for say thirty days or sixty days especially if youre cutting out entire food groups, its not sustainable, its not teaching you positive eating habits or teaching you about new and exciting foods, its far too restrictive to keep going long term.
Clare says she hopes to see a transition from restrictive fad diets to more people adopting more balanced diets built around whole foods.
It almost feels like it needs to be crazy for people to buy into it. Like it needs to be something way more complicated than just eating a balanced, varied diet with a focus on more plants and more veggies.
Clare says thats tough with the competition between fad diets, each trying to distinguish itself from the others with some special feature.
She recommends the Whole 30 diet, which she says could be seen as a fad diet but boils down to fit with her core principles.
[It] has such a great back bone, really just focusing on eating more whole foods. It does require some restrictions; eliminating dairy I believe and sugar and that sort of thing, so it might not be sustainable in the long term but of all the diets Ive seen, its the one that has the most holistic sustainable view to it.
Clare says if youre looking for a magic pill or magic diet, youre out of luck.
But she says if you do plan on trying a fad diet, do your reading, see if it really will help your body, and make sure you are still getting balance in what you eat.
Tune into your body and if it doesnt work for your body dont do it.
With fad diets having a start date, it can either set you up for a success or you will inevitably revert back to old habits.
Clare saysits often best just to create lifestyle changes by making one small difference at a time and build on positive eating habits, rather than straining your mental well-being by focusing on an end date.
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CKNW Health Series: Why are 'fad diets' so persistent? - AM900 CHML
