Fad Diets Offer Slim Chance of Success
July 2002 - What do Beverly Hills, the Russian Air Force and cabbage soup have in common? They're all names of trendy diet programs. There are also diets named for their developers (Pritikin and Atkins), for foods (peanut butter and grapefruit), for duration (three-, four- and seven-day) and for inspirational effect (The Zone and Fit for Life).
How do we make sense of them all?
Don't bother, says Andrea Morganstein, MS, RD, LD/N, dietitian and nutritionist at the Memorial Hospital West Fitness & Rehabilitation Center.
"People are looking for something easy and fast. They're looking for a magic pill and, unfortunately, there isn't one," says Morganstein.
Any diet can help you lose weight if it instructs you not to eat this or that food because it means you're eliminating calories, says Morganstein. But a diet that simply cuts out potatoes or pork or another food has at least two problems: It doesn't promote a healthy attitude about eating, and it doesn't teach proper nutrition. Another diet to avoid is one that strictly forbids your favorite treat or comfort food.
"If you love pizza and I tell you that you can't have pizza, at some point you're going to have a really bad day and you're going to say, 'Forget this! I want pizza!' And you're going to eat the whole pizza," says Morganstein. "But if I tell you that you can have a slice of pizza once in a while, you probably won't go overboard."
Shedding excess pounds is only part of the weight-control battle; maintaining your weight is the real challenge. But there are no secrets to success.
"The key is proper nutrition and exercise," says Morganstein. "If you're not willing to do both, your weight loss is not going to last because you haven't changed your eating habits, the way you look at food or increased your activity level."
If you have a weight-control problem or would like information about starting a regular exercise program, call the Memorial Hospital West Fitness & Rehabilitation Center at (954) 844-7125 or the Memorial Regional Hospital Fitness & Rehabilitation Center at (954) 265-5800. Always talk to your doctor before beginning an exercise program. For more information about a healthy diet, take our Portion Control Quiz.