What are fad diets?
Fad diets are weight loss diets that promise fast results, often without any scientific basis. These type of diets frequently involve eliminating whole food groups, which starves your body of important nutrients. They can generally provide short-term weight loss results, but are not sustainable in the long-term and can lead to weight gain after the diet is finished.
Identifying fad diets
Fad diets can generally be identified by some of the following features, which can include:
- Promising quick weight loss results in a short amount of time;
- Promoting certain foods, or food combinations;
- Excluding particular food groups (e.g. carbohydrates);
- Claiming that you do not need to exercise;
- Basing diets on single testimonials, and;
- Basing diets on studies that are not scientifically proven.
Examples of fad diets
Some examples of fad diets include:
- Cabbage soup diet, which involves eating predominantly large amounts of cabbage soup over seven days;
- Atkins diet, which involves limiting the consumption of carbohydrates and eating high amounts of protein;
- Blood type diet, which involves eating certain foods based on your blood type;
- Five and two diet, which involves intermittent fasting. This diet allows consumption of unlimited calories for five consecutive days, followed by a limited calorie intake for the next two days;
- Grapefruit diet, also known as the Hollywood diet, which claims that grapefruit has a special fat-burning enzyme;
- Lemon detox diet, also known as 'master cleanse', which involves eating no food and only drinking lemon tea or lemonade made from lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper;
- Slim-fast and other liquid diets, and;
- Specific diet and supplement pill diets.
Health risks of fad diets
Fad diets commonly restrict certain food groups, which means that there can be inadequate vitamin and mineral intake. This can lead to the occurrence of short-term health problems, which can include:
- Dehydration;
- Constipation;
- Nausea;
- Headache, and;
- Weakness and fatigue.
As fad diets vary in many ways and can restrict many foods, the long-term health implications of each fad diet remain unclear.
Fad diets are not sustainable
Although fad diets may give some weight loss results in the short-term, they are generally not sustainable. This means you can not follow them forever and when you stop the diet and return to your old lifestyle habits, your body weight is likely to increase again. Fad diets are not sustainable due to the limitations placed on the food variety and amount, which can cause cravings and hunger. In the long-term, fad diets that restrict the intake of certain food groups can prevent you from getting adequate amounts of nutrients to healthily sustain your body.
Energy balance
In a healthy balanced diet, an important aspect to monitor is the amount of energy you consume, compared to the amount of energy your body uses up. If you consistently take in more energy than your body uses, over time your body will store the excess energy as fat, leading to weight gain. To lose weight, the total amount of energy that your body uses must be more than the amount of energy taken in.
Energy in food
Energy in food is measured in kilojoules or calories (1 calorie = 4.2 kilojoules). Different foods vary in the amount of energy they provide because they contain different amounts of the three macronutrients which are fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Fats are the most energy-rich macronutrient, supplying about 38 kilojoules per gram. Proteins and carbohydrates supply around 17 kilojoules per gram. All three macronutrients contribute to the healthy maintenance of your body - fats help with nutrient absorption, proteins are important in the building of new cells and carbohydrates provide long lasting energy.
Healthy eating and exercise
To successfully maintain a healthy weight lifestyle changes, that are sustainable in the long term, will need to be adopted. This can involve eating smaller portion sizes, exercising more or eating healthy alternatives. The most important thing to remember when trying to lose weight is the amount of energy consumed needs to be less than the amount of energy used up. Exercising and being active is a great way to burn any extra kilojoules.
To reduce weight, the amount of energy used up must be more than the amount of energy consumed. Eating a balanced diet, including the five major food groups, provides your body with all the required nutrients. A healthy diet includes:
- Vegetables and legumes (which include beans, peas and tofu);
- Grain or cereal-based foods, such as breads, rice, breakfast cereals and pasta;
- Lean meats, fish, poultry and eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds;
- Fruits, and;
- Dairy and dairy substitutes (such as non-dairy milks fortified with calcium).
Dietary Guidelines also provide advice about required kilojoule intake, the various dietary fats and limitations of processed foods
fad diet is a diet that becomes popular for a short time, similar to fads in fashion, without being a standard dietary recommendation, The Truth About Fad Diets
Table of Contents
Fad diets are not a new phenomenon, and with the prevalence of obesity in the U.S. rising to nearly 42% of the population between 2017 and 2022, it’s no surprise that an estimated 45 million Americans go on a diet every year[1]
While many diet programs can be followed in a healthy way, fad diets, which are often marketed as a “quick fix” for weight loss, are typically backed by little scientific evidence supporting their efficacy and safety. Some research even suggests following these diets in the long term could lead to negative health consequences.
While experts recommend steering clear of most fad diets, several are supported by some research. This article highlights the potential benefits and drawbacks of some of the more popular fad diets.
Keep in mind that while these fad diets may help you lose weight in the short term, experts generally agree that there are healthier, more sustainable ways to lose weight and lower your risk of chronic disease.
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What Is a Fad Diet?
A fad diet is a popular dietary pattern that claims to help you lose weight quickly.
“Fad diets can usually be identified by having a tight set of rules the person should be following,” explains registered dietitian Emily Tills, a virtual nutrition coach based in Syracuse, New York. “Usually there’s a ‘good foods’ and ‘bad foods’ list, and people plan on following the diet briefly before returning to their previous eating patterns once they reach their goals,” she adds.
According to research, fad diets tend to have the following characteristics:
- A promise of rapid weight loss
- A lack of physical activity guidelines
- Promotion of short-term changes rather than achieving lifelong goals
- A focus on one type of food or elimination of certain food groups
- Unsustainability in the long term
- Nutritional inadequacy
- A failure to provide health warnings for those with chronic diseases
- A lack of scientific evidence to support claims
Some fad diets, such as the cabbage soup diet or the military diet, make claims that defy basic principles of biochemistry and nutritional adequacy. Conversely, others like the South Beach Diet or intermittent fasting encourage some healthy eating patterns—like limiting consumption of processed foods—and are grounded in research that supports their efficacy from both a weight loss and overall health standpoint.
However, even fad diets that are more research-based may not be sustainable in the long term.
“Fad diets involve unrealistic or unsustainable practices, such as cutting out entire food groups or only consuming liquid meals. These diets often promise quick or dramatic weight loss, but don’t offer long-term success,” explains Gabriela Rodríguez Ruiz, M.D., a board-certified bariatric surgeon at VIDA Wellness and Beauty in Tijuana.
Fad Diet Examples
Here’s a rundown of some of the more popular fad diets out there, their potential benefits and drawbacks, and how they work for weight loss.
The Paleo Diet
Introduced in 1985, the paleo diet aims to mimic the dietary patterns of humans prior to agricultural development. It claims humans should eat foods similar to those we evolved with and avoid foods we didn’t have access to during our evolution.
Followers of the paleo diet are instructed to eat as many lean meats, fruits and non-starchy vegetables as they want, as well as eggs sparingly. Dairy products, legumes, grains and processed foods are strictly off limits. The paleo diet doesn’t focus on portion size or caloric intake.
Because it limits intake of the most significant sources of carbohydrates in the standard American diet—cereals, legumes, dairy and processed foods—the paleo diet is essentially a low-carbohydrate diet.
The Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet was originally designed in 1923 by physician Russell Wilder as an effective treatment for epilepsy.
Several variations of the keto diet exist today, but generally, it’s a very low-carbohydrate diet (VLCD) featuring a moderate amount of protein, high amounts of fat and no more than 5% to 10% of one’s daily calories from carbohydrates. Someone following a 2,000-calorie diet can consume no more than 200 calories—or 50 grams—of carbohydrates a day on the keto diet.
The body typically uses glucose as its primary energy source. When you severely limit your intake of carbohydrates, you use up your glucose stores and your body relies on ketone bodies as an alternate energy source, a process known as ketosis. When the body reaches ketosis, insulin secretion decreases, helping to reduce fat and glucose storage.
Studies show a medically-supervised ketogenic diet can be effective at improving symptoms and quality of life for a variety of conditions, including epilepsy and other neurological disorders. More recently, people have adopted a keto diet in an effort to lose weight, though studies are mixed on whether it’s more effective than traditional weight loss diets.
The Atkins Diet
Cardiologist Robert Atkins developed the low-carb, high-protein Atkins diet in the 1970s. Followers are instructed to limit their consumption of carbohydrates to less than 5% of their total daily caloric intake—less than 100 calories (25 grams) of carbohydrates for someone following a 2,000-calorie diet. People following the Atkins diet are also instructed to eat as much protein and fat as they want, drink plenty of fluids, supplement with vitamins and minerals, and incorporate regular exercise.
The Atkins diet is appealing because it makes it easy to feel full, and limited food choices make meal planning simple, notes Cleveland-based sports dietitian and functional nutritionist Kylene Bogden, co-founder of FWDfuel and Pureboost ambassador. But it is “easy to fall under the trap of buying all processed, pre-packaged foods labeled as ‘Atkins’ for convenience,” she adds.
As with any high-protein, low-carb diet, Atkins isn’t ideal for heart and gut health due to a potentially high intake of saturated fat and lack of fiber, notes Bogden.
The South Beach Diet
The South Beach diet is a three-stage, modified low-carbohydrate weight loss diet plan developed in 2003 by Dr. Arthur Agatston.
During phase one, followers avoid eating most carbohydrates and focus on lean protein, high-fiber vegetables and healthy fat sources. In phase two, followers of the diet reintroduce some foods that were eliminated, including whole grains, fruits and other vegetables. Phase three is a maintenance diet that can be followed indefinitely.
Followers of the diet are instructed to eat three balanced meals and three snacks throughout the day. The diet advises eating until hunger is satisfied using the provided meal plans and recipes.
The early phases of the diet are a low-carbohydrate, high-protein eating plan. According to Bogden, the South Beach diet “promotes a great macronutrient ratio of moderate carbohydrate, higher protein and fat, promoting greater satiety and better blood sugar balance.”
Intermittent Fasting
Unlike diets that focus on restricting the number of calories you eat, intermittent fasting sets guidelines for when you can eat—not what or how much. Typical intermittent fasting alternates avoiding all food for a certain amount of time with periods of normal eating.
The most popular intermittent fasting periods include:
- Alternate day fasting, in which a day of fasting, or eating less than 25% of your total caloric needs, alternates with a day of normal eating.
- Periodic fasting, or the 5:2 diet, in which you fast or eat less than 25% of your total caloric needs for two non-consecutive days of the week, with normal eating the other five days of the week.
- Time-restricted feeding, in which you eat normally within a specified window of no more than eight hours per day.
Intermittent fasting may work because when you restrict the hours you’re able to eat, you end up restricting your overall caloric intake. “Limiting when you can eat may help break unhealthy habits like mindlessly snacking late at night,” explains Liz Cook, M.S., a registered dietitian at OnPoint Nutrition in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But she cautions that fasting too long between meals can cause low blood sugar, which can lead to mood swings, headaches and, more seriously, shakiness, dizziness, confusion and anxiety.
The Whole30 Diet
Whole30 is an elimination diet that features two phases. The first phase involves 30 days of eating only meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, “natural” fats, herbs, spices and seasonings. The following 10 days focus on reintroducing eliminated foods one at a time to see how they affect your energy, sleep, mood, cravings, digestion and other symptoms.
Whole30 isn’t designed for weight loss, nor is it designed to be followed in the long term. Instead, the goal is to identify food sensitivities. It’s promoted as a “reset.”
Whole30 requires that followers commit and strictly adhere to its protocol for 30 days. The program’s website states that if you eat even a bite of a food or beverage that isn’t allowed on the plan, you must start over again from day one.
Fad Diets: Why They Don't Work, Sustainable Changes, and More - He…
The Health Risks of Fad Diets | Oklahoma State University
- 1) Atkins Diet (Low-Carb)
- 2) Ayurveda Diet
- 3) Blood Type Diet
- 4) Calorie Restriction Diet
- 5) Candida Diet
- 6) DASH Diet
- 7) Elimination Diet
- 8) Flexitarian Diet
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