Wednesday, February 4, 2009

What You Need To know About Fad Diets

By Ron C George

Fad diets are weight programs that are designed to only be used for a small amount of time. Another popular culture meaning for the term is a diet that becomes wildly popular for a period of a few months to a few years, and then fades into obscurity. Some of these fad diets include the cabbage soup diet, the Atkins diet, and the cookie diet.

Fad diets are sometimes known as food fad-ism. A food weight loss fad is a phenomenon in which some food or category of food suddenly becomes very popular in a very short period of time. These generally have some common elements, including:

- The food, or some ingredient within it, is said to have amazing powers. - Certain foods must be avoided because they have equally amazing powers, but that do bad things.

The Atkins diet displays the characteristics of one of these fad diets. Carbohydrates are avoided like the plague, since a carbohydrate low diet can do amazing things for your body. At the same time, carbohydrates are the miraculous element -- actually the lack of carbohydrates because it creates a metabolic state in which the body burns weight at an amazing pace. This diet even included short phases, followed by sustained periods. But Dr. Atkins did intend that people could eat this way for the rest of their lives.

Truth About Fad Diets

How All Fad Diets Become Popular as with many have diets, Atkins popularity was very hyped and short-lived. It lasted a few years during which it seemed everyone you talked to was on the diet . People from Hollywood actors to politicians were all going on the Atkins diet. When Dr. Atkins died to stardom of his diet went with him.

Fad Diets And The Dangers

There are many risks connected with fad diets. Even a seemingly healthy diet like the Subway diet could be dangerous. It was based on the legend of Jared, a young man who'd lost nearly 250 pounds in only a year by eating Subway sandwiches, baked chips, and diet soda. In reality Jared restricted his caloric intake from over ten thousand calories a day to only 900. Such an extreme level of caloric intake cuts and rapid fat loss is unhealthy. The diet did comprise various positive aspects such as exercise, like walking.

Beware of fad diets. You're better off learning how to eat well on an everyday basis and assert a program of rigorous exercise. - 16004

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