SubscribeExtreme Diets Losing Popularity?
Before I go on, I would like to wish everybody a happy "Break your Diet" day. That's right - as I write this on March 18th, this is the day where the average person who starts a New Years resolution diet breaks it - 78.6 days. Well a newly released survey shows that more people are opting to measure their diets in years, rather than days - at least in the UK.
The survey of almost 3300 British adults found that weight loss plans such as; The Maple Syrup, Atkins and Cabbage Soup diets are becoming less widely followed. According to the survey, a third of people are adopting more of a lifelong approach to weight loss.
If this is true, this is good news!
The problem is that the press release and/or the survey lack some detail that inquiring minds would want to know - such as; by how much did these numbers decline? What do they consider a "quick-fix" diet? When was the last time they conducted this type of survey? These are details I'm curious about.
If there truly is a trend away from fad diets, this begs the question: Is this a function of these fads having run their course, or is it a matter of people becoming wise to the long-term ineffectiveness of these plans?
With the former, we have seen a drop-off in low carb popularity, dating back to about the middle of 2004 (Note: this is subjective as there are varying degrees of low carb diets). Further, we are now 15 months removed from the movie Dreamgirls - the role in which Beyonce's Maple Syrup Diet exploded in popularity.
On a side note, a third possibility to the above is that people are becoming okay with looking more like Jennifer Hudson than a skinny Beyonce. To that I say... Amen!
My hope is that this is the beginning of a paradigm shift towards sensible, sustainable fat loss, with health being the central goal. That said, I don't think the quick-fix mentality will go away anytime soon as new and recycled extreme plans will continuously flood the market.
So why don't we declare this day "Break the Fad Diets Forever Day!" shall we? Now pass the cabbage-flavored low carb maple syrup!
Bravo! If only the media would stop shoving ads like "the last diet you'll ever have to do" or "miracle fat burn food"--thanks for this post, this is great info.
Reply'r' and 'n' together on my monitor looks like an 'm'.
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ReplyExcellent.
Ice cream is the miracle fat bum food - sugar and trans fats, yay.
ReplyYou haven't tried Miracle Fat Bum food until you've tried Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Butter Cookies!
ReplyDeep-fried chocolate-covered peanut butter cookies are a bigger miracle.
ReplyYou know it's .074 cents cheaper to get the Humongo size.
ReplyThse are GREAT news. Thanks for the post!
ReplyI don't even do Atkins, but I think it is unfair to lump it in with the maple syrup and cabbage soup diets. People can and do stay on Atkins for years, some are on it for decades already.
ReplyI tend to agree. It was an example the article used but I don't think it's really in the same category as the very low calorie fad cleanses/diets.
ReplyFirst of all, great post!
I would have to agree with Jan74 that Adkins can not really be compared to the cabbage and maple syrup diets. While I do agree that Adkins may not be the best for the long haul, it is good to get the weight loss started. Adkins has also helped dieters realize how bad refined carbs really are.
If I were to pick a "fad Diet" as a favorite I would have to say South Beach is it. It is a nice middle-ground between Adkins and Weight Watchers. In the end though, we just have to burn off more calories than you intake to lose weight.
Scot
The Chub Chronicles
ReplyYeah, I think Atkins is more of a "lifestyle" than a quick fix fad diet....IF followed correctly. Some people just do that strict induction phase to drop water weight super fast and then go back to normal eating.
ReplyHowever, I lost 10 lbs on Cabbage Soup Diet...but I gained it back :-). Now i just dont eat too much and exercise lots.
They do have a plan for reintroducing carb as you continue to lose weight, and then to maintain, which is something fad diets never have. It is always "eat cabbage soup, then go back to eating normally" - well, eating normally is what made you need a diet for starters, so of course it won't work.
ReplyRight...any diet that has you eating wacky stuff and then going back to "eating normally" is pretty much a losing idea. You lose weight for a while, but once you go back to eating normally, BAM! All the weight will come back. A sign of a decent diet is going to have a good maintenance plan that is a lifestyle change of foods that you can eat the rest of your life so the weight stays off. I know Atkins and WW and South Beach all have pretty decent maintenance plans, but I'm sure there are others out there as well. I've also noticed that the maintenance plans of most plans are fairly similar, no matter what the initial stages are like...lots of whole grains, fruit, veggies, lean protein, lowfat/fat free dairy products, eggs, lots of water, and very few refined carbs.
ReplyAnd the diets that are not that strict for starters, like Body for Life or Body Rx, can be maintained indefinitely.
Replyyeah, I've been on Atkins for over a year. I don't consider it a fad diet. And it's worth noting that I do eat some whole grains (minimally processed, such as quinoa) and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Like Jan said, you add them back as you get closer to maintainance. I just think it gets a bad rap as a "eat bacon and butter and nothing else" diet. Even on its strictest phase, you're supposed to eat lots of veggies every day.
ReplyYeah, he had been talking about "inappropriate use of food" for years on his book already.
Even though, if someone used to eat a dozen doughnuts and then switches to eating a stick of butter, I'd still argue that is the lesser evil. At least his triglycerides will be reduced, so he'll be at a lesser risk for a heart attack. But he was not advocating snacking on sticks of butter for starters.
ReplyI couldn't last 1 day on a cabbage soup diet, much less 78! Hooray for "Break the Fad Diets Forever" day!
ReplyAh! that's called 'keming' - when 'kerning' goes wrong... kerning is waht designers do to increase or decrease the spacing between the letter of words... thanks to Ironic Sans -- www.ironicsans.com/2008/02/idea_a_new_typography_term.html
Replyoh crap that was supposed to be in reply to Linds, sorry
ReplyOkay I have heard about a trend way back when about useing Metamucil for weight loss. I was told that takeing a fibre capsule/pill awhile befor eating would help with feeling fuller during your meal. And as your body trys to break down this extra fibre you burn more calories. Now Im not saying this is the only thing you should do but im looking for more natural ways to aid my weight loss plan. Plus it seems like a great cheating way of adding more fibre to my diet. I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this. I dont like to jump into anything without hearing lots pros and cons.
ReplyIts a good idea. I do it, but not for dieting, rather for the benefits of eating enough fiber daily. It does make you fuller, just make sure to drink enough liquid.
ReplyI agree with the concept of not lumping Atkins and other long-term eating habits like Weight Watchers in with the Cabbage Soup or the Maple Syrup diet. Any diet where you eliminate just about every food from your diet is gonna be temporary because your body is going to CRAVE all those nutrients that it's missing like crazy. Programs like WW, Atkins, South Beach all have pretty reasonable maintenance programs that are fairly easy to stick with for life. I'm glad those stupid fad diets are losing popularity though. Maybe the word's finally getting out that they don't work?
ReplyGreat post! Some time back I wrote a post on my site called "Fad Diets to Avoid." They simply do not last, I tell people I work with to consider a healthy lifestyle change because they want permanent change. Hark work with no shortcuts. Consistency, few have it, we all need it.
ReplyThe only thing extreme about it is the amount of money that goes into there pockets and the time it takes us to get on the right track and do it right.
ReplyExtreme diets just don't work. Eat sensibly and watch out for the dieting sins too.
ReplyGreat post. I think that people are becoming better educated in this regard. People now know that weight loss comes from long term sensible living.
ReplyI would really hope extreme diets are actually losing popularity. The constant yo-yoing can't be good for anybody!
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