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FAD DIETS
University of Kentucky
Cooperative Extension
Service
Obesity
Approximately 127 million adults in the
United States are overweight.
 60 million are obese.
 9 million are severely obese.
 Obesity is a disease that has been
rapidly on the rise in America since
1960!

Why are so many Americans obese?
 Lack
of physical activity
 Poor food choices, namely highcalorie, low cost foods
 Obsession with the wrong kinds of
diets
 Lack of time
 Lack of quality relationships
How to recognize a fad diet…

Advocates magic or miracle foods that burn fat.
 Recommends bizarre quantities of only one food or
type of food.
 Forces one to adhere to a rigid menu.
 Touts benefits of specific food combinations.
 Promises rapid weight loss (>2 lbs. per week)
 Does not include a health warning for those with
chronic diseases.
 Requires NO increased physical activity.
 Sounds too good to be true.
Popular Fad Diets
 South
Beach Diet
 Atkins Diet Revolution
 Scarsdale Medical Diet
 Grapefruit Diet
 Enter the Zone Diet
 3-Day Diet
South Beach Diet

Eat as much as you want, BUT avoid sugars
and refined-foods carbohydrates.
 Phase One- 2 weeks of strict dieting; avoid
nearly all carbs. Most people lose between
8-13 lbs.
 Phase Two- “Good” carbs slowly introduced
into diet.
 Phase Three- Return to Phase One if weight
gain begins again.
Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution

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Eat NO MORE THAN 20 grams of
carbohydrates per day.
Avoid ALL breads, cereals, grains, sugars,
pasta, rice, flour, soda, juice, fruit, alcohol…
Some vegetables are allowed if consumed
in small quantities. The dieter is advised to
stick with “free” meats, eggs, and cheeses.
Advocates LOW carbs and HIGH fat.
Scarsdale Medical Diet Plan
Requires dieter to follow a strict diet
regimen for 7 days.
 Must consume at least 4 glasses of
water or diet soda per day.
 Coffee, lean meat, vegetables, and
melons or grapefruit make up the
majority of the diet’s food guidelines.

Grapefruit Diet

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Promises that the dieter will lose 52 lbs. in 2½
months!
Must drink 64 oz. water daily. Must adhere to a strict
list of “haves” and “have nots”. Cannot eliminate
ANYTHING from the diet and must consume the
minimum amount required at each meal.
Advises the dieter to, “Eat until you are stuffed. The
more you eat, the more weight you will lose.”
Includes grapefruits or juice, any meat (especially
bacon), and salad with dressing.
Enter the Zone Diet
Strict “40-30-30” eating plan. 40%
carbohydrates, 30% fat and 30%
protein.
 Claims to use the biochemical effects of
food on hormone production and
metabolic activity. “The Zone” refers to
a supposed state of optimal health,
peak performance, and weight control.

3-Day Diet

Similar to the Scarsdale diet, but offers a wide
variety of food and necessitates a VERY
detailed eating plan.
 Dieters are instructed to measure each food
(usually ½ or 1 cup per serving) and are told
to eat toast, peanut butter, veggies, apples,
crackers, vanilla ice cream, and beef franks.
Again, the diet stresses the importance of
eating these foods in a certain specific order.
High-Carbohydrate
Diets
Diets like the Pritikin Diet Plan or the
Save-Your-Life Diet recommend high
fiber and high carbs.
 These diets are as unhealthy as their
low-carb counterparts. They can lead to
lowered immunity and poor wound
healing because of lower fat and protein
intake.

Science of
Low-Carbohydrate Diets
 Carbohydrates are the body’s
main source of energy. Excess
carbohydrates are converted to fat
and stored as fat tissue.
 When on a low carbohydrate diet,
the body uses fats from foods and
fats stored in the body for energy.
Science of Low Carbohydrate
Diets

When carbohydrates are in short supply, the
body cannot completely break down fat. As a
result, ketone bodies are formed. Large
amounts of water is excreted. This water loss
can cause dehydration.
 Ketones accumulate in the blood, causing
ketosis. This state forces the body to burn
calories similar to a state of starvation. This
is DANGEROUS, especially over a long
period of time.
Other Dangerous Plans

Many people try total fasting or self-imposed
starvation to lose weight. This is perhaps the
most problematic method of weight loss and
can damage tissues, body fluids, mineral
supplies, and vital organs.
 Diet Aids, such as Dexatrim or PhenPhen
promise the same results as diet plans but
with little or no change in eating or exercise
lifestyle. Generally, they are a health risk and
are often make claims that are too good to be
true.
Psychology of Dieting


Fad diets are SO popular because they promise
FAST weight loss with MINIMAL effort. In our fastpaced society, this is a very tempting offer.
Americans are obsessed. The weight loss industry in
the U.S. rakes in $37 billion dollars a year.
Psychology of Dieting

A study of four popular fad diets
discovered another problem: while they
claim to be easy to follow, most people
cannot adhere to them. A third of
participants dropped out of the more
healthy Weight Watchers and Zone
diets. About half could not complete the
Atkins Diet or the vegetarian Ornish Diet
Plan.
Source: Tufts University
Psychology of Dieting

The study also noted that, while initial weight
loss may be high, the participants had only
lost about 5% of body weight after one year.
 This weight loss is comparable to a 200 lb.
individual shedding 10 lbs. Most dieters hope
to shed about 30 lbs.
 Even unhealthy weight loss can be
DISCOURAGING!
THINK POSITIVELY

Be realistic.
– Make small changes.

Be adventurous.
– Enjoy a variety of foods.

Be flexible.
– You can fit in special treats.

Be sensible.
– Enjoy all foods.

Be active.
– Get creative with your recreational
activities.
Serving Savvy
Food
Serving Size
Looks Like
Meat, chicken,
fish
Pasta or rice
3 oz.
Deck of cards
1 cup
Walkman
Vegetables
½ cup
Tennis ball
Cheese
1 oz.
Two saltines
Ice cream or
frozen yogurt
½ cup
Tennis ball
Teen Dieting
Time Magazine reports that 80% of
children have been on a diet by the time
they reach the 4th grade.
 81% of ten-year-olds are afraid of being
fat. (Mellin,et.al, 1992)
 The most common behavior that will
lead to an eating disorder is dieting.

(AABA, 1998)
Teen Dieting

Too often, teenagers believe that they are
supposed to look a certain way.
 The media presents us with unrealistically
thin models. The average woman is 5’4” tall
and weighs 140 lbs. The average model is
5”11 tall and weighs 117 lbs. (Smolak, 1996)
 Pre-teen and young teen girls go through
normal and necessary body changes (hips
broaden, breasts develop) and no longer look
like the models on TV and in magazines.
Fad Diets and Eating
Disorders
35% of “normal dieters” progress to
pathological dieting. Of those, 20-25%
progress to partial or syndrome eating
disorders. (Shisslak & Crago,1995)
 The popularity of fad diets perpetuates the
idea that being thin is more important than
being healthy.
 According to a recent study, ½ of females
between the age of 18-25 would prefer to be
run over by a truck than be fat. (Graessar, 1996)

Healthy Diet/Exercise
www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/
The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and
Decrease Overweight and Obesity
 Being physically active can help you attain or
maintain a healthy weight!
Healthy Diet/Exercise
www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/fitness/
execsummary.html
The President’s Health and Fitness Initiative
HealthierUS- Every little bit of effort counts!
Healthy Diet/Exercise
www.fns.usda.gov/FNSmascot/ParentBrochures/
Balance_brochure.pdf
Food & Nutrition Service
United States Department of Agriculture
Make Family Time an Active Time- Just Move It!
What Parents Can do to
Encourage Healthy Lifestyles

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Encourage your
kids.
Listen to them!
Volunteer
Play with your
children.
Keep them safe!
Set a good example.
EAT WELL and KEEP MOVING!
PLAN
 BE PREPARED
 TRY
SOMETHING
NEW
 CHANGE THE
PACE
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