Fad DietsPennington Biomedical Research CenterPennington Biomedical Research Center

Division of EducationDivision of Education

2009 2

Proliferation of fad diets

• There are many different types of diets available currently.

• Fat diets are available in book form, magazines, on-line, and on TV.

• Each one promises better cures than the next with huge weight losses in short time.

2009 3

How to recognize a fad diet

1. Promise quick weight loss.

2. Limit food selections and dictate specific rituals.

3. Use testimonials from famous people

2009 4

How to recognize a fad diet

4. They bill themselves as cure-alls.

5. They often recommend expensive supplements.

6. No attempts are made to change eating habits permanently.

2009 5

How to recognize a fad diet

7. Use scientific jargon and terms.

8. They are generally critical and skeptical about the scientific community.

2009 6

Types of Fad Diets:

Macronutrient RestrictionsLow or Restricted-Carbohydrate Approaches

Low-Fat Approaches

Novelty Diets

2009 7

Types of Fad Diets:Low or Restricted Carbohydrate Approaches

Most common form of fad diet

• The brain requires glucose for normal functioning.

• Glucose is made from tissue proteins.

• This leads to protein tissue loss.

How it works

2009 8

Types of Fad Diets:Low or Restricted Carbohydrate Approaches

• Dieter loses weight very rapidly with the loss of carbohydrates and fluids.

• Work in the short run because of limited food intake.• Reduced eating due to limited selection.• On normal diet fluids are restored and the weight is

regained.

Why you lose weight on it

2009 9

Problems With Low or Restricted Carbohydrate

Approaches

• The plan lacks: fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

• Not intended for long-term use.• The plan includes excessive intake of animal

fats.• Individuals experience reduced exercise

capacity due to limited carbohydrate intake.

Prob

lem

s

2009 10

Problems With Low or Restricted Carbohydrate

Approaches• Can result in metabolic dehydration.

• Due to use of body’s own stores of carbohydrates and protein.

• Results in initial weight loss.

• This is extremely stressful and forces the brain to alter its metabolism.

Met

abol

ic co

nseq

uenc

es

2009 11

Problems With Low or Restricted Carbohydrate

Approaches• Can lead to such serious health problems such as

kidney stress, liver disorders, and gout.

• These diets also increase the risk for:• Coronary heart disease• Diabetes• Stroke• Several types of cancer

2009 12

Recent Finds• Typical Atkins Diet can contain up to 59% fat and provides

significantly fewer servings of grains, vegetables, and fruit than recommended by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.

• Very low-carbohydrate diet increases the risk for kidney stone formation and the potential for bone loss contributing to osteoporosis.

2009 13

Recent Finds:From the American Heart Association

• According to the AHA, restricting carbohydrate levels can increase the risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, stroke, and certain kinds of cancer.

2009 14

Recent Finds:From the American Heart Association

• Most of these plans greatly exceed the AHA’s dietary guidelines of 15-20% protein and only 10% saturated fats daily.

• 68% of the calories in the overall diet come from fat with 26% coming from saturated fat on the Atkins' Diet

2009 15

Recent Finds:From The American Kidney Fund

• High-protein diets can cause scarring in the kidneys.

• Dehydration forces the kidneys to work harder to clean toxins from the blood.

2009 16

Recent Finds:From the American Institute for Cancer Research and

the World Cancer Research Fund

• Diets high in saturated fat increase the risk of prostate, breast , and colon cancer.

• High-protein diets are low in protective dietary fiber, which lowers the risk of lung, oral, esophageal, stomach, and colon cancer.

2009 17

Examples of: Low or Restricted Carbohydrate Approaches

• Dr. Atkins• Sugar Busters• Carbohydrate Addicts Diet• The Five-Day Miracle Diet• Protein Power• Enter the Zone• Endocrine Control Diet• Healthy For Life

• The Doctor’s Quick Weight Loss Diet• Woman Doctor’s Diet for Women• Miracle Diet for Fast Weight loss• Calories Don’t Count• Four Day Wonder Diet• The Complete Scarsdale Medical

Diet

2009 18

Types of Fad Diets:Low Fat

• Less than 20% of energy comes from fat, usually only 5-10%.

• There is limited (or elimination of) animal protein sources; also all fats, nuts, and seeds.

• Dieters eat primarily grains, fruit, and vegetables, which most people cannot do for a very long time.

• Eventually, the individual wants some foods higher in fat or protein.

2009 19

Problems:With Low Fat Diet Plans

• Little satiety

• Flatulence

• Possibly poor mineral absorption from excess dietary fiber

• Limited food choices sometimes leading to deprivation

• The diet is much lower in fat than a typical American diet.

2009 20

Examples of: Low Fat Diet Plans

• The Rice Diet Report• The Pritikin Diet• Eat More, Weigh Less• The 35+ Diet• 20/30 Fat and Fiber• Fat to Muscle Diet• T-Factor Diet• Fit or Fat

• Two Day Diet• Complete Hip and Thigh Diet• The Maximum Metabolism Diet• The Pasta Diet• G-Index Diet• Lean Bodies• Outsmarting the Female Fat Cell• The Macrobiotic Diet (some

versions)

2009 21

Types of Fad Diets:Novelty Diets

• Some novelty diets emphasize one food or food group and exclude almost all others.

• The Rice Diet was originally designed in the 1940’s to lower blood pressure.

• Another novelty diet is the Egg Diet, on which you eat all the eggs you want.

2009 22

Novelty Diets: Rice and Egg

• The rationale behind these diets is that you can only eat eggs, fruit, or rice for just so long before becoming bored, in theory, reducing your energy intake.

• However, it is more likely that you will abandon the diet entirely before losing much weight.

2009 23

Novelty Diets:Information

• Some bizarre novelty diets claim that some food combinations putrefies ( ex. meat eaten with potatoes) in the intestines and creates toxins, which invade the blood and cause disease, and overweight and obesity.

• Examples of this type of novelty diet include: Fit for Life, the Beverly Hills Diet, and Eat Great, Lose Weight

2009 24

Novelty Diets:Information

The gimmicks proposed in the different books appear controversial but are

really designed to sell books.

And most importantly, there is No Research or Scientific Evidence

backing up these claims.

2009 25

Problems:With Novelty Diets

• They promote certain nutrients, foods, or combinations of foods as having unique, magical, or previously undiscovered qualities

• They can lead to malnutrition

• No change in everyday eating habits leading to relapse

• Unrealistic food choices leading to possible bingeing

2009 26

Examples of:Novelty Diets

• Dr. Abravenel’s Body Type and Lifetime

• Fit for Life• Dr. Berger’s Immune Power

Diet• The Hilton Head Metabolism

Diet• The Beverly Hills Diet• Dr. Debetz Champagne Diet• Sun Sign Diet

• Eat to Win• Cabbage-Soup Diet• Eat Great, Lose Weight• The Ultrafit Diet• Two Day Diet• Paris Diet• Eat Right 4 Your Type• 3 Season Diet• Metabolize

2009 27

Quackery

• Fad diets fall under the category of quackery, people taking advantage of others.

• Usually costs a considerable amount of money

• Often times, those offering the product or service were victims themselves.

2009 28

Quackery: Tips

• Healthy weight loss approaches that work will be reported in the major journals, such as the

– Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the – Journal of the American Medical Association, or – The New England Journal of Medicine.

• The rule of thumb on seeing a new diet aid on the market is that: If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Other Diets

2009 30

Moderate Calorie Restriction: General Overview

• Usually 1000-1800 kcal per day, with a moderate fat intake

• Reasonable balance of macronutrients• Encourages exercise• May use behavioral approach• Acceptable if vitamin and mineral supplement is used

and permission of family physician is granted

2009 31

Examples:Moderate Calorie Restriction

• The Setpoint Diet• Slim Chance in a Fat

World• Weight Watcher’s Diet• Mary Ellen’s Help Yourself

Diet Plan• The Beyond Diet• Staying Thin• The Calloway Diet

• Living Without Dieting• Volumetrics• Lose the Last 10 pounds• Dieting with the Duchess• Dieting for Dummies• The Wedding Dress Diet• Dr. Shapiro’s Picture

Perfect Diet

2009 32

Very Low Calorie DietsGeneral Overview

• Less than 800 kcal per day

• Also known as protein-sparing modified fasts

• Must be under close physician scrutiny

2009 33

Very Low Calorie DietsGeneral Overview

• Used for fast weight loss under doctor’s supervision to get ready for surgery, for example.

2009 34

Very Low Calorie Diets:Problems

• Organ tissue losses- especially from the heart

• Low blood potassium could lead to heart failure

• Expensive to follow

• Potential for kidney stones with rapid weight loss

• Potential for Gout

2009 35

Examples:Of Very Low Calorie Diets

Optifast

Cambridge Diet

HMR

Ultrafast

Thin So Fast

2009 36

Formula Diets:General Overview

• Can help people who cannot regulate portion sizes

• Based on formulated or packaged products

2009 37

Problems:With Formula Diets

• No change in habits are observed.

• Possibly leading to increased chance of relapse

• Expensive

• Often leading to constipation

2009 38

Pre-measured Diets:General Information

• Most food supplied in pre-measured servings takes much of the decision making out of the process of eating.

• Expensive

• May not allow for easy sound eating later

2009 39

Examples Of Pre-measured Diet

Jenny CraigNutriSystem

Health Management Resources

2009 40

References• http://www.essentialnutrition.org/lowcarb.php • Wardlaw G, Kessel M. Perspectives in Nutrition. 5th ed.

2002• http://www.jennycraig.com• http://www.google.com

2009 41

Pennington Biomedical Research CenterDivision of Education

• Heli Roy, PhD, RD• Outreach Coordinator, Division of Education

• Phillip Brantley, PhD, • Director, Division of Education

• Claude Bouchard, PhD• Director, Pennington Biomedical Research Center

• Beth Kalicki

Edited: October 2009

2009 42

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is a world-renowned nutrition research center. Mission:To promote healthier lives through research and education in nutrition and preventive medicine. The Pennington Center has several research areas, including: Clinical Obesity ResearchExperimental ObesityFunctional FoodsHealth and Performance EnhancementNutrition and Chronic DiseasesNutrition and the BrainDementia, Alzheimer’s and healthy agingDiet, exercise, weight loss and weight loss maintenance The research fostered in these areas can have a profound impact on healthy living and on the prevention of common chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis. The Division of Education provides education and information to the scientific community and the public about research findings, training programs and research areas, and coordinates educational events for the public on various health issues. We invite people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in the exciting research studies being conducted at the Pennington Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. If you would like to take part, visit the clinical trials web page at www.pbrc.edu or call (225) 763-3000.

About Our Company…