Why Most "Fad" Diets Don't Work

Fad diets are diet programs that are “fashionable” because they attract a lot of people who are accustomed to following what the latest trends in society are. It is a fad diet if it promises a quick fix and not only because of a big following.

The diets become popular and stay on for some time and then disappear. If these so-called fad diets reappear, it is because a new celebrity re-introduces the diet and endorses it to his or her fans.

Some of the “fad” diets that came recently for the past 20 years or so are still around. The acai berry diet was promoted in Oprah and became popular. There is the Atkins diet that called attention lately though this was written in 1970. Other diets are the low carb diet, HCG diet, cabbage soup diet, zone diet, low fat diet, negative calorie diet, the Mediterranean diet meal plan and the tapeworm diet (ingesting tapeworm which is dangerous and extreme). 

1.These fad diets change your eating habits from normal consumption amounts to almost starvation levels. It also does not promote physical exercise. Without enough food, you might lose weight quickly. But, without exercise to burn calories (metabolism), you are bound to become weaker and slower. Soon, you will return to your normal eating habits, then your weight will increase much faster because your appetite has increased and your body needed all the energy it needs when you drop out of the fad diet.

2.These fad diets concentrate on the food you eat and do not say anything about toning your muscles. So, even if you have reduced your body weight, your muscles are going to be flabby. The effect is that you do not have much strength in your muscles.

3.These fad diets can make you lose your muscles as well because they do not include fat in the diet. When you lose your muscles, your metabolism will slow down and you will begin to store fat again.

4.These fad diets forces you to concentrate on 3 meals a day only. Hunger pangs in between meals are not good for you. Most people will be snacking and increasing their food intake of unhealthy foods.

5.These lose belly fat fast for women and men type diets make you lose weight abruptly. What you lose initially is water weight and not fat weight. To become effective, weight reduction should be gradual.

6.These fad diets usually limit carbohydrates. Contrary to their beliefs, carbohydrates actually burn fat cells and they also help the muscles to use fat for energy.

7.These fad diets are bad for your health in the long run. These diets put stress on the immune system and deprive you of the nutrients that your body needs.

Most of these “fad” diets, if not all, do not pass the standards of international medical associations. The result is that the people are made to believe them even though there are no scientific bases on their claims.

In summary, the “fad” diets create an imbalance in your body as they carry on myths about certain ideas that supposedly worked. When you try it out, you become worse as when you started without it.