Having so many diet options makes it difficult to know which ones to trust. For this reason, The Partnership for Healthy Weight Management has developed the "Voluntary Guidelines for Providers of Weight Loss Products or Services." The mission for these guidelines is to "promote sound guidance to the general public on strategies for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight." According to the guidelines, effective weight management involves:
Behavior modification that includes:
- Dietary intervention
- Healthful eating in accordance with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans
- A reduction in calories
- A lowered fat consumption
- An increase in fruit, vegetable, and whole grain consumption
- Physical activity
- Increased frequency
- At least moderate intensity
- May be necessary for people with more serious cases of overweight and obesity
- Have to be used in conjunction with behavior, diet, and physical activity modifications
It is important to look for a plan that includes strategies for maintaining weight loss. There is nothing worse than regaining the weight that took you an enormous amount of hard work and patience to lose.
Most popular diets are considered fad diets. There is no clear definition for what constitutes a fad diet. Merriam-Webster defines a fad as "a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal." Fad diets often promise quick results with a short time commitment. Long-term success requires permanent changes in behavior, diet, and activity.
Ways to spot a fad diet:
- It claims fast weight loss
- Claims that sound too good to be true
- Foods defined as "good" and "bad"
- Less than 1,000 calories daily
- A required vitamin/mineral supplement or food product
- Elimination of a major food group (grains, fats, meats, dairy, fruit, vegetables)
- Lack of long-term randomized scientific studies proving the diet works and is safe. A randomized study distributes participants in a deliberately random way into either the non-tested diet group or the special diet group. Some fad diets state there is research to support their claims, but the research is only done with a few people or does not exist.
- Elimination of an essential nutrient (carbohydrates, fats, proteins)
- No activity or exercise needed
- It's written by someone with no expertise in weight management
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