Our review of the fad diets gives you the ins and outs of how (and whether) they work – as told by leading health organizations.
We know that there’s no simple cure for obesity and being overweight, yet many slimmers (particularly celebrities) are always on the look out for the easy quick-fix diet or pill that will somehow make fat just melt away or provide a substitute for will-power.
Diet example1: High protein/low carbohydrate diets...
Many Hollywood celebrities follow these diets – they restrict or eliminate carbohydrate from the diet in favor of plenty of protein and fat. They claim that eating carbohydrate triggers the release of too much insulin, which then causes carbohydrate to be stored as body fat.
“Not only do very low-carbohydrate diets go against all current healthy eating advice, which is to increase starchy carbohydrates and lower fat intake, but they can lead to ketosis. This is a dangerous state for the body to be in as the pH of the blood falls, and can lead to unconsciousness and eventually coma.” Nutrition bulletin
Diet example 2: Slimming pills that 'mobilize' fat
Fat in the body is contained in fat cells. Even if it were possible to break the cells down and for the fat to seep out - where would it go! There is only so much fat that will be kept circulating in the blood stream before the body stores it again. If it is burned but total energy expenditure is not increased, then the fat will merely displace some other fuel which now will not be burned but will be available to form new fat. Ultimately, fat stores can only be decreased if somehow energy used up exceeds energy intake.
Diet example 3: Very low calorie diets
“Often these diets focus on short-term results and don’t work in the long term. Crash diets may make you feel very unwell and unable to function properly. Because they are nutritionally unbalanced, they can lead to long-term poor health, including eating disorders.” NHS Choices
“Fasting deprives the body of nutrients. The result is low energy, weakness, and light-headedness - not real weight loss.”American Dietetic Association
Diet example 4: ‘Detox’ and ‘cleanse’ diets
Detox and cleanse diets are often very restrictive and usually have the added claim of cleansing the body of toxins. Many also suggest taking a supplement to aid this process.
“If your liver and kidneys are functioning properly, your body will clear any waste substances naturally. There is no scientific evidence to support the benefits of these diets.”British Medical Association
Diet example 5: Food specific diets
The idea behind these diets is that certain foods can help burn fat or boost the metabolism. You can usually have plenty of the ‘special’ food but little else, or have the ‘special’ food as a supplement.
“Such claims have no scientific basis and, if you succeed in losing weight, it is because of their restrictive nature… They can also cause nutritional deficiencies.”British Medical Association
“The premise of food-specific diets is that some foods have special properties that can cause weight loss. But no food can.”American Dietetic Association
Diet example 6: Pills, patches, lotions and potions...
They may have amazing claims, but are rarely backed up by scientific proof. Products can only help in the treatment of obesity if they facilitate a decrease in energy intake or increase in energy expenditure.
“Nutritional supplement are advertised which are said to inhibit the absorption of fat or carbohydrate from the diet and thus increase energy losses from the body, but these are ineffective (and would probably be potentially harmful if they had the claimed effect). Other 'natural' supplements are said to speed up the metabolism, but this is not true to any significant degree.” British Nutrition Foundation
Slimming World's Food Optimising system
Food Optimising is in line with current recommendations on effective weight management and healthy eating. It guides members in making healthy changes to lifestyle, diet, and behavior around food.
Food Optimising is a healthy eating plan like no other – generous, filling, tasty, full of variety, and best of all – good for you! It’s not a quirk of fate that causes weight loss with Food Optimising - this sensible diet works because Free Food is low in energy density and high in appetite satisfaction, or (to put it another way) low in calories, but very filling! Taste the difference for yourself with our filling, variety-packed 7-day menu.