Are you cranky, hungry, depressed, and constipated? Do you have bad breath? If so, then odds are you’re on a fad diet.
There are lots of fad diets out there that make all sorts of promises. But many of the weight loss diets are nothing more than wacky – and even dangerous – fads. And this is especially true for teenagers. Because adolescence is a time when kids are still growing and maturing, teens who are concerned about their weight or obesity should speak with a pediatrician or nutritionist first, to get some guidance or direction – especially before embarking on any fad diets. You know the story: If something sounds too good to be true than it probably is. Here are some quick ways to spot phony weight loss schemes.
- Rapid weight loss. If you try a fad diet that promises “Lose 30 Pounds in Just 30 Days” then you will probably experience the sequel, “Regain 30 Pounds in Under 30 days!” Fast weight loss is not healthy and any weight you lose will most likely come right back. The weight loss is typically due to losing water or the stores of sugar (glycogen) in your muscles. The key to success for teenagers is gradual weight loss and working with a nutritionist who specialized in adolescent weight management.
- Magic or miracle foods. If a diet focuses on one food (like grapefruit) or claims that certain foods can burn or melt fat away, run away from the diet.
- No exercise. Any diet plan that tells you not to exercise should also be selling you a burial plot. Physical activity burns calories and is the key to losing weight and keeping it off for good. Physical activity also prevents a huge number of diseases later in life.
- Bizarre quantities. If a diet tells you to eat all you want of a certain food, put the diet plan down the garbage disposal. If you eat unlimited Twinkies or ice cream, you’ll get sick of them (or get sick on them) and be missing out on countless nutrients your body needs.
- Specific food combinations. If the diet tells you to eat certain combos of foods and avoid other ones, steer clear. For example diets that tell you to avoid carbohydrates and only eat protein are not healthy. And specific food combos don’t produce toxins or enhance fat loss.
- Pills, patches and creams. Trying weight loss pills, patches, creams or supplements that guarantee to help you lose weight will not lighten your scale but they will lighten your (or your parent’s) wallet. And they can be seriously dangerous to the health of a teenager. Stir clear of these weight loss scams. Nothing will burn calories except physical activity.
So, what’s the craziest fad diet you’ve ever tried or heard about? What’s the craziest or funniest claim you’ve seen advertised on a diet product?
Consider this: Take a peek at the nutrition labels on what you eat and drink. What could you skip that would add up to 300 calories per day? For example: 1 can of soda (100 calories) and 1 candy bar (200 calories). It’s much easier than you may think to shave off a few hundred calories here and there.
And remember, if you are a teen who needs to lose weight (and your doctor has suggested this to you), you have to lower your intake of calories and increase your physical activity. Burn a few hundred calories extra each day through physical activity and eliminate a few hundred calories worth of junk food each day. Learning the basics of the Food Guide Pyramid is a good place to start.
If you are tempted to try a fad diet to lose weight, most likely the only things you’ll be successful at is failing to lose the weight and feeling crummy. So skip the fads, focus on the facts, and seek advice from a health professional.
This article was reviewed by BodiMojo expert Deborah Rohm Young, Ph.D.
While grapefruit is a very nutritious low-calorie fruit (66-84 calories per serving), no scientific studies to date substantiate grapefruit’s supposed power to burn fat.
