Welcome back to Nutrition Stories, a series exploring hot topics in nutrition and dietetics! Today’s guest is Taby Acosta, a student in the UF Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) in the Food Science and Human Nutrition program at The University of Florida. In this installment, Taby discusses why fad diets don’t work and offers ideas for how to sustainably reach your health and nutrition goals.

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Sorry to disappoint, but that’s not sustainable.

The lure of quick solutions promises enticing results. However, many of these ‘solutions’ do not last long term and might even have negative effects on your health.

Evidence suggests that weight-cycling can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, thyroid disease, bone fractures, and strokes compared to if you maintained a stable weight for a long period of time.¹ No magic pill exists for losing weight, gaining energy, and “detoxing” your body in a healthy, sustainable way.

The good news is that evidence-based research illuminates the path to sustainably achieving your goals. In this article, we will explore the pitfalls of fad diets and help you differentiate between fleeting trends and lasting solutions. Let’s take the reins of our future and live a healthier and more informed lifestyle.

What is weight cycling and yo-yo diets?

Although the terms “weight cycling” and “yo-yo diets” are not medical terms, they are commonly used in the nutrition world. Weight cycling describes fluctuations in weight in which weight is lost, then gained, with this cycle repeating over and over. Unrealistic or extreme dieting expectations might cause this cycle to commence.

Weight cycling becomes yo-yo dieting when a repetitive cycle of weight change stems from extreme dieting. This pattern often arises from adopting unsustainable diet plans that fail to meet the body’s energy needs. The body then compensates for nutrient deficiencies by prompting episodes of overeating or binge-eating.

What are fad diets?

Fad diets are any type of diet that promises a lasting result in a short period of time, usually due to a drastic change in your eating habits.² These diets are not sustainable. Instead, they often fail to provide essential nutrients and can lead to nutritional deficiencies, metabolic imbalances, and a rebound effect where individuals regain any lost weight once they resume normal eating patterns.

How do we define a fad diet? Fad diets usually:

• Allow the consumption of only certain foods or food groups while eliminating others.
• Promise an “easy” or “quick” fix for those with weight loss goals.
• Hint at how this diet is “trending” and “everyone is doing it.”
• Guarantee a drastic outcome in a short period of time, such as an unrealistic amount of weight loss.
• Lack evidence to back up their instructions.³

Fad diets have existed for a long time, with some dating back to the 1820s. Some examples include:³

• Graham’s diet (consisted of eating only Graham crackers)
• Bananas and skim milk diet
• Green apples diet (eat only green apples for seven days with no restriction on how many you consume per day)
• The cigarette diet (smoke a cigarette anytime you are hungry)
• Liquids only diet
• Raw foods diet (only raw, uncooked, organic foods)
• Baby food diet (consume 14 jars of baby food per day, with the option of one meal a day for adults)
• Beverly Hills diet (similar to the green apple diet, but you can eat any fruit you want for 10 days with no restriction on the amount eaten)

What are other diets that you might not realize can be fad diets?^{2, 4}

• Low carbohydrate diets (such as Atkins, Ketogenic and paleolithic diets) → Carbohydrates encompass a percentage of what a balanced meal should look like and there are different types of carbohydrates (simple vs complex). Eliminating or heavily restricting carbohydrates can be detrimental to maintaining a balanced diet.
• Ornish diet → This diet is labeled as a low-fat diet, which oversimplifies the complex relationship between different types of fats and health outcomes, contributing to its classification as a fad diet. Eating a well-balanced diet, with a focus on unsaturated fats, is beneficial to your wellbeing. Note that eliminating (or almost eliminating) a food group will not help you achieve sustainable results.
• Intermittent fasting → This diet has recently become popular, but it is complex and requires a lot of education to carry out successfully. When done incorrectly, the cons might outweigh the pros. To make sure you are engaging in intermittent fasting correctly, speak with a registered dietitian nutritionist.
• Detox diets → This diet fails to provide a balanced approach to nutrition and often leads to nutritional deficiencies and metabolic imbalances.

Why should you avoid fad diets?

1. When we restrict ourselves from eating even when our internal cues are letting us know we need more fuel, we train our bodies to stop listening to both the “I need to eat” and “stop eating” signals. Consequently, when we deviate from the fad diet, we risk succumbing to rebound binge eating.⁵
2. A steep decrease in weight will result in not only fat loss, but also muscle and water loss. These losses can have significant long-term negative effects if they become a repetitive cycle.⁶
3. Evidence suggests that the weight gain following a rapid weight loss shifts your metabolism by favoring carbohydrate oxidation, inducing hyperplasia, and promoting faster adipose tissue (fat) growth.¹
4. Some fad diets claim that combining certain foods can increase weight loss, just like combining others can stop them from “becoming fat immediately.”⁶ There is no evidence to support these claims.
5. Many scientific journals have published research about weight cycling and its negative effects. One study suggests that while in a caloric deficit, the body uses less energy, but the drive to eat increases, no matter how long the caloric restriction lasts. After the diet is no longer in effect, the free access to food will trigger the bodily response to overeat, often leading to weight gain.¹
6. Excluding allergies or certain medical conditions, no reason exists for depriving yourself of entire food groups. A variety of foods are necessary for your body to produce the fuel it needs.
7. The restriction of certain food groups might lead to nutritional imbalances. For example, limiting carbohydrates may lead to inadequate intake in fiber-rich foods which can result in digestive issues like constipation. A restriction of fats may lead to an insufficient intake of essential fatty acids (like omega-3) which are crucial for brain function and hormone production. Overconsumption of protein may strain the kidneys and liver. Lastly, by following such restrictive dietary patterns and eliminating whole food groups, individuals may become deficient in essential vitamins and minerals.

How to avoid fad diets

1. Listen to your body rather than social media. Follow your body’s internal hunger and satiety cues rather than forcing yourself to stop eating when you still need more fuel. Your body knows best.
2. Avoid cutting out entire food groups for non-medical reasons. Instead, allow for appropriate portion sizes from each food group.
3. Prioritize balanced nutrition! Follow MyPlate’s recommendations for how your plate should look: one-fourth protein, one-fourth grains, and half of your plate is fruits and vegetables.⁷
4. Do your research. Rather than look up diets on Google or social media, read scientific journals and research articles to educate yourself so that you can take charge of your health. Some reputable resources include PubMed, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and EatRightPro.

Taking an individual approach to meet your health and nutrition goals

The perfect diet!

Consider each cell in your body—the neurons, chemical messengers (such as hormones), muscles, bones—all the intricacies that contribute to your unique composition. It’s impossible that every component forming you requires the same treatment as it does for every other individual. For this reason, the idea that a universal, one-size-fits-all diet exists to instantly help you attain your goals is not realistic. Each person’s physiological and biochemical makeup is distinct, demanding a more personalized approach to achieve individual health and fitness objectives.

Achieving your health goals is most effectively done through self-education. Aligning your choices with real scientific evidence that supports the well-being of your body is a crucial step. Listening to your body’s internal signals and ensuring it receives all the essential nutrients it requires for optimal functioning empowers you to cultivate lasting and sustainable habits.

As always, consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) to help you meet your nutrition goals is highly recommended. RDNs have extensive education which equips them to provide expert insights into the nutrition you and your body truly need. By combining self-education with professional guidance, you can embark on a health journey that is both well-informed and tailored to your individual requirements.

References

1. Strohacker K, Carpenter KC, McFarlin BK. Consequences of Weight Cycling: An Increase in Disease Risk? International journal of exercise science. 2009;2(3):191-201. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4241770/
2. Tahreem A, Rakha A, Rabail R, et al. Fad Diets: Facts and Fiction. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2022;9(9). doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.960922
3. Fad Diets. Chicago Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics | CAND. Published August 5, 2012. https://eatrightchicago.org/fad-diets/
4. Kaily Anderson. Popular fad diets: An Evidence-based Perspective. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases. 2023. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033062023000075#f0020
5. The Psychology Of Dieting | National Centre for Eating Disorders. National Centre for Eating Disorders. Published 2011. https://eating-disorders.org.uk/information/the-psychology-of-dieting/
6. Staying Away from Fad Diets. www.eatright.org. https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/diet-trends/staying-away-from-fad-diets
7. USDA. What is MyPlate? www.myplate.gov. Published 2020. https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/what-is-myplate

Header photo credit: UF/IFAS Photo by Lyon Duong

Looking for more posts sharing stories about nutrition hot topics? Check out the rest of the UF/FSHN Nutrition Stories Series!

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