World Health Day 2024: 5 Eye-Opening Myths And Facts About Fad Diets

Myth 1: Fad diets guarantee long-term weight loss.

Fact: While fad diets may lead to initial weight loss, they often fail to provide sustainable results.

Many of these diets promote extreme restrictions or eliminate entire food groups, making them difficult to maintain over time.

Myth 2: Fad diets are safe for everyone.

Fact: Fad diets can pose health risks, especially for certain populations, such as pregnant women, children, and individuals with underlying medical conditions.

Additionally, rapid weight loss can strain the heart, increase the risk of gallstones, and disrupt electrolyte balance.

Myth 3: Fad diets provide quick fixes for health problems.

Fact: While fad diets may offer short-term relief for certain health issues, such as digestive problems or fatigue, they often neglect long-term health goals.

Myth 4: Fad diets are supported by scientific evidence.

Fact: Many fad diets lack scientific evidence to support their claims of effectiveness and safety.

While some diets may cite selective research or anecdotal evidence, they often overlook the broader body of scientific literature on nutrition and weight loss.

Myth 5: Fad diets work for everyone.

Fact: Each person's body is unique, and what works for one individual may not work for another.

Fad diets often promote a one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss, ignoring individual differences in metabolism, genetics, and lifestyle.

What's more, restrictive diets can lead to disordered eating patterns and negative relationships with food.

Inputs by: Garima Dev Verman, Certified Dietician with The Healthy Indian Project (THIP) - A Health Literacy Platform.