Just as people take a pill for a headache and expect the headache to vanish a few minutes after the pill has entered the stomach, so too people expect a kind of miracle weight management formula that makes their excess weight vanish within days if not within minutes.
Unfortunately, the way fat is accumulated within our bodies precludes the possibility that there will ever be a safe quick-fix for obese people.
Let me point out that even surgery can neither remove all your fat, nor promise that you won’t suffer from its consequences. The same applies to fad diets. Here is why fad diets are not such a good idea.
1: Fad diets are too restrictive
Participants of fad diets are on a very restrictive diet and are permitted only certain foods to the exclusion of all others. For example, protein diet requires you eat only protein and very little else. This is unnatural and anything unnatural not only has adverse health related consequences, it is also impossible to follow beyond a few days. Our body needs a balanced diet that contains proteins, vitamins, minerals, etc. Excluding any of these will lead to deficiencies and you will need to visit your GP for a quick fix thereby negating the effects of the fad diet.
2: Fad diets often lead to dangerous consequences
If faithfully followed, fad diets can lead to rapid weight loss. If you lose more than 3 Lbs of weight a week you risk gallstones and abnormal heart rate which can have fatal consequences.
3: Promoters of fad diets falsify information
Promoters of fad diets will often inform their clients that certain foods such as cabbage soup, grapefruit, papaya etc. will make you lose weight. In reality, no food burns fat. True, some foods may speed up metabolism for a very short time but no food that I know of can directly lead to weight loss.
4: False claims
Promoters of fad diets routinely make false claims about products they promote. They routinely claim that their so called “Natural” or “herbal” products are safe and effective. None of these products are tested in a government approved lab nor are the claims verified by any recognized independent body. In fact, most of their products are not even tested and claims are usually based on ancient beliefs rather than any scientific tests.
My clients too always ask me if there is a quicker way to achieve weight / fat loss results. I wish there was.
The truth is, there is no short-cut to fat loss.
Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise either lacks knowledge or does have your best interests at heart. Subscribe to our RSS feed to stay up-to-date with our healthy eating posts!