Fad Diets

A fad diet promises quick, dramatic results, and is marketed as the best approach towards weight loss.

Fad diets share some common characteristics. For example, they tend to

Promise a "quick fix"
Promote intensely cutting calories or removing entire food groups from your diet
Promote drastic substitutions (juice cleanses, meal replacement bars or shakes, etc.)
Often follow outdated health trends that existed before nutritional science was more well-known

There are many kinds, contributing to the popularity of these diets as a whole; the dieter keeps trying out new plans, hoping one will finally work. However, the science suggests otherwise.

Intermittent Fasting

Everyone fasts intermittently -- it's called "breakfast" for a reason! The term "intermittent fasting" has been coined as a specific dieting term to appeal to the public as a new trend. As is in the name, intermittent fasting refers to a pattern that cycles between periods of eating and not eating. It does not require a specific eating plan, but instead governs the amount of time per day in which you consume energy. The idea is that by limiting the time spent eating, you'll eat less, and lose weight.

However, going extended periods without eating when your body is telling you to can cause an increase in hunger hormones, which would result in you cramming more food into the short window of time in which you are "allowed" to eat. You wouldn't really be eating less in this case.

There is some research that intermittent fasting decreases appetite over time. However, this may be due to metabolism slowing down as a result of going frequent extended periods with little to no energy intake. The body's metabolic processes will slow down in order to conserve energy in times of stress (in the form of a low intake of energy); this is a survival mechanism that has helped our species stay alive.

The Skinny on Low-Fat

Little to no caloric deficit is created through a low-fat diet because a similar number of calories are still obtained through more of other foods, since hunger levels are higher. This is because fats are often replaced with carbohydrates, especially from refined, rapidly digested sources, such as white bread and white rice, which have a higher glycemic index. Spikes and crashes in blood sugar tend to contribute to more hunger and cravings.

On Low-Carb

Drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake will result in a rapid drop in pounds. This drop is not due to body fat, but water weight, as the body stores glycogen and water in a 1:3 ratio. Lowering your carb intake will also cause a reduction in insulin levels. One of insulin's jobs is to signal to the kidneys to retain sodium, which also causes water retention. With less insulin, the body will therefore retain even less water [15].

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body cannot digest, so it helps regulate hunger and digestion. Avoiding carbohydrates would therefore cause digestive troubles as well.

While there is no strict definition of what constitutes a low-carb diet, anything below the lower end of the 45-65% carbohydrate calorie recommendation can be considered low. With glucose, resulting from the breakdown of carbohydrates, being the body's main source of energy, diets such as Atkins and Ketogenic that place extreme restrictions on carbs can result in fatigue, as well as headaches and dizziness from low blood sugar.

What's up with gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in grains, including wheat, barley, and rye. Despite the hype over going gluten-free, research suggests that it is only problematic in those with celiac disease or food sensitivities such as irritable bowel syndrome. There is no compelling evidence that following gluten-free diet improves health if you don't have celiac disease and can eat gluten without trouble [33].

Additionally, gluten-free foods tend to be 1) more expensive than conventional foods, and 2) commonly less fortified with folic acid, iron and other nutrients than regular, gluten-containing foods. On the first point, people are often willing to pay more money for foods they think are "healthier" [34]. Regardless of whether the ingredients in certified gluten-free products are actually more expensive or if the companies that make them jack up the price on their own accord, following a gluten-free diet for weight loss rather than overall health will likely cause a greater drop in the number in your bank account than the number on the scale. Gluten-free foods also tend to contain less fiber, whose consumption is important in stabilizing blood sugar.

Vegetarian? Vegan?

There are many ethical and environmental benefits to reducing your consumption of animal products, such as reducing your carbon footprint, combatting world hunger, and saving the lives of innocent animals [35]. Many people also avoid eating certain animals for religious reasons. However, in terms of weight loss, going vegan or vegetarian is yet another fad.

There's nothing inherently better for you about going plant-based (many traditional "junk foods," such as Oreos and the chili-flavored Doritos, are vegan!). In fact, if you're not careful, it could do more harm than good. It can be easy to skimp out on essential nutrients such as iron, calcium, zinc, and B12, since these commonly come from animal products. This means that extra supplements or research on plant-based foods that contain these nutrients may be necessary to optimize your health.

From https://www.news-medical.net/health/Paleo-Diet-Pros-and-Cons.aspx

Modernly Prehistoric: The Paleo Diet

The paleolithic diet aims to maintain the presumable eating habits of hunter-gatherers. This plan avoids foods introduced through farming and industry, and encourages whole, unprocessed foods instead.

Like going plant-based, this diet has the potential to cause nutrient deficiencies with its restrictive nature, but it has more clear benefits than other branded diets, such as promoting a healthy heart and blood sugar [36].

Diet vs. Lifestyle

Some of the eating habits mentioned above, such as veganism and vegetarianism, can be whole lifestyle changes. Often in the case of going plant-based, the diet (as in intake) self-sustains, driven by passion for the environment or a religious cause. If followed this way, these lifestyle changes lose the implicit temporal quality that weight loss diets possess, and therefore also the cycle of weight loss and gain, of trying just one more diet in hopes that you'll finally achieve longterm effects [37].

Avoiding this "diet mentality" is important for overall health, as it encourages a better relationship with food and oneself, as you rely on your body to tell you what it needs. Implementing an intuitive practice of moderation, rather than restriction, is the most sustainable form of eating. Having a steady and positive relationship with food is healthier than putting yourself on any restrictive diet, as it is less taxing on the mind. Physically, weight will most likely balance out, as will appetite and the hormones that regulate it.

Micronutrient Deficiency in Popular Diets

Here is an experiment conducted by Dr. Jayson Calton, in which he researches nutrient sufficiency in popular diets. His findings indicate that an individual following a popular diet plan as suggested (taking no additional supplements) has a high likelihood of becoming micronutrient deficient. New caloric intakes were calculated and an evaluation determined that to obtain enough of each micronutrient on these diets, consuming well over any number of calories at which weight loss could be achieved is required.

Minnesota Starvation Experiment

This experiment was conducted towards the end of World War II to gain insight into the effects of starvation. A decline in the subjects' health occurred when hunger cues were ignored and the body was deprived of nutrition. While the participants lost body mass, during their following unrestricted rehabilitation period, they were left with voracious hunger and appetite, which caused them to gain back the weight they had lost back and more. As established by the results, severely restricting calories to lose weight results in increased appetite and weight gain, as set point and homeostatic cues are disregarded.

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