The Real Deal: What the Experts Say about the Biggest Fad Diets on the Market

With the glut of diets on the market today, it is hard to seperate fact from fiction. Browse thru the health section of any book store, and you will find a virtual encyclopedia of nutrition ranging from the ever popular South Beach diet, to the the Paeleolitic diet (apparently cave men ate better than we do). While literally dozens of fads have hit the market since Atkins (which has recently filed for bankrupcy), precious few contain sound knowledge and advice. So to help you avoid dietary disaster, we take a look at a few of the most popular to see which stand the test of time.

(1) Atkins Diet

The Gimmick: Low-carb/high-fat
A carbohydrate-restricted diet leads to greater weight loss. Originally developed in the early 1970s by Dr. Robert Atkins, the Atkins Diet is founded on the simple idea that all carbs make you fat. Therefore, by cutting all carbs, you will inevitably lose more fat and weight in general. Based loosely on the Glycemic Index, which rates carbohydrates on their ability to infleunce blood sugar levels, Atkins seems to achieve miracle results for its followers, who many times report loses of 10 lbs or more within the first one to two weeks, all while enjoying an indulgent diet rich in fatty meats and oils.

The Reality:
If this sounds tasty, consider what they don't explain. Though proven effective in helping followers to drop pounds quickly, most weight lost is water-weight, and is shed as a symptom of carbohydrate-depletion. If you drop 10 lbs of weight in the first two weeks of Atkins, perhaps only one-third of this is actual fat. And unless you plan to remain on Atkins forever, the rebound of water weight often results in a net gain from when you began.

The Research:
The body adapts quickly to any diet, and clinical trials of low-carbohydrate diets show a greater weight loss in obese patients after six months than low-fat and reduced-calorie approaches. But by twelve months there was no difference between the two groups. While on Atkins, patients also reported side effects including fatigue, palpitations, cold sweats and headaches, and (due to its high content of saturated fats) increased LDL-cholesterol levels (aka: bad cholesterol).

Conclusion:
While proven successful for short-term weight loss, the Atkins diet has also been shown to be no more effective in sustaining weight loss than other traditional diets. And the risk of heart attack from long-term frequent consumption of foods that increase LDL-cholesterol levels is also something that cannot be ignored.

(2) Hollywood Diet

The Gimmick: Liquid fast

The Hollywood diet disruptes normal digestion, while cleansing your digestive system, through it's liquid based approach.This diet claims to facilitate weight-loss of up to fourteen pounds in only seven days. The juice that must be purchased for this diet is a blend of natural fruit juices, enzymes and minerals which synergistically act as a diuretic and mild laxative to flush out your system. Consuming the juice at regular intervals thorough out the day helps balance blood-sugar levels and aids in hunger-control.

The Reality:
Much like the Atkins Diet, a good majority of the initial weight-loss associated with this diet is water-weight; the rest is fecal matter, shed as a result of the diet-juice’s laxative ingredients. While this diet might effectively aid in short-term weight loss, the rebound effect after returning to normal eating patterns makes long-term weight loss unrealistic.

The Research:
Conclusive studies have yet to be conducted on this diet, and the little research that has been done is inconclusive. In a two-week test conducted by Kline Nutrition, a private health-care advocacy firm, twenty-seven volunteers, both male and female, ranging in age from 18-67, reported an average loss of 4.5% of body weight. However, each study-participant also reported weight losses of three to six pounds of fecal matterâ€"the largest source of weight loss for the dieter.

Conclusion:
The potential for success with this diet is based strictly upon the goals of the individual. The claim on the juice’s label, which claims weight-loss of up to fourteen pounds in seven days, is made possible by the diuretic and laxative effects of its liquid-based nutritional additives. Essentially, the majority of weight is merely waste that has been flushed from the body, and which will return once solid food is reintroduced into the daily diet. In short, while effective in the short term, neither this diet, nor its resultant weight-loss, can be sustained for extended periods of time.

(3) Mediterranean Diet

The Gimmick: Unprocessed foods and increased fiber

The Mediterranean Diet, adopting a more balanced approach to nutrition, is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish. Named after the region of its origin, this diet is rooted in the idea that consumption of healthy-fat- and fiber-rich unprocessed foods provides the body with the proper balance of vitamins and minerals necessary to lose weight and prevent disease.

The Reality:
Unlike crash diets developed specifically for weight loss, the Mediterranean diet is primarily intended to promote physical health, which in turn promotes weight loss. The balance of essential vitamins and minerals, high fiber, and healthy fat in this diet help to strengthen the immune system, rid the body of impurities, and fight cancer-causing free radicalsâ€"all effects that enable the body to maintain a healthy weight. While weight-loss can be slower than crash dieting, any weight lost on this diet is far more likely to be composed of fat, as opposed to muscle or water.

The Research:
The Mediterranean Diet calls into question FDA eating guidelines, which recommend a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. A recent study involving 22,043 adults who live in Greece was carried out by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, and the University of Athens Medical School. This study showed the traditional Mediterranean diet that contains as much as 40% fat reduced the chance of heart-disease- or cancer-related deaths by more than 25%. Many other studies of populations that eat a traditional Mediterranean diet have shown a reduced incidence of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases, along with an increase in life-expectancy.

Conclusion:
This diet isn’t for those who want to lose weight fast. The Mediterranean Diet is intended to produce lasting results by being become part of its followers’ nutritional lifestyles. Followers can only expect to lose a maximum of two pounds of fat per week. But for those interested in physical health, this diet will likely prove an ideal means of achieving a healthy and manageable lifestyle that can be sustained indefinitely.

(4) The Zone Diet

The Gimmick: Weight-loss through hormone control and a balanced diet

The Zone Diet promotes eating a balanced proportion of fats, proteins, and unprocessed carbohydrates. Based on the concept that fruits and vegetables are more efficiently absorbed by the body than grains, the Zone Diet attempts to control the body's release of insulin (the hormone that regulates blood sugar) through a diet of low-carb, high-protein, and moderately fatty, foods, in order to keep insulin-levels within the weight-loss “zone."

The Reality:
The Zone Diet promotes the idea that foods with a high Glycemic Index raise blood-sugar levels. In theory, these foods cause large amounts of insulin to be secreted, leaving you feeling hungry, and making it more difficult to lose fat. The Zone recommends foods with low Glycemic Indexes, which keep blood-glucose levels down, which aids in fat loss.. In contrast to many low-carb diets, this diet allows for consumption of a broad variety of foods: low-Glycemic fruits and grains, vegetables, lean proteins, and monounsaturated and omega-3 fats are all included. Results of studies conducted on followers of the Zone found that while the diet allows a more moderate approach, it still resembles the majority of other low-carb diets, with water-loss being the main cause of weight-loss. Although, because it is more nutritionally balanced, the Zone provides the body with essential vitamins and nutrients necessary to avoid the symptoms associated with other low-carb diets, such as fatigue, bad breath, and dizziness.

Another complaint about the diet, are it's rigid proportions of fat, carbs, and protein. For many dieters, this diet is difficult to maintain in daily life, which inevitably leads to a breakdowns in progress, and a net rebound in weight gain.

The Research:
One of the primary criticisms of the Zone, is the lack of supporting research conducted by anyone other than it's founder, Dr. Barry Sears. In a study of 29 men and women over a six week period, half were placed on the zone and half were placed on a traditional diet of moderate carbohydrates. According to Dr. Sears, Zone dieters lost 20% more fat than participants on the traditional diet. While both groups were also placed on an identical training regime, Zone users reported greater muscular endurance and decreased fatigue thereafter.

Conclusion:
The lack of objective research on the Zone renders it difficult to gauge it's lasting effectiveness. Short term results, however, resemble those of other low carb diets, and due to it's relative variety, the Zone makes for a more likely option as a sustained nutritional lifestyle.

(5) South Beach Diet

The Gimmick: Carbohydrate-cycling

The South Beach Diet is based on the premise that ingesting the right carbohydrate and fat sources produces weight loss, and prevents disease. The diet emphasizes carbohydrate foods with low Glycemic Indexes, and fats that don’t raise LDL Cholesterol. Like the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet begins with an initial phase of very low carbohydrate intake; however, unlike Atkins, it only allows foods low in unhealthful fats. The subsequent phases allow, in gradually increasing quantities, carbohydrates low on the Glycemic Index. During these phases, the dieter is permitted more carbohydrate foods than an Atkins-dieter. The third phase is designed for weight-maintenance and primarily restricts only high GI, and high-fat foods.

The Reality:
The South Beach Diet, while beginning as a standard low-carb diet in phase one, was designed with the intention of preparing the body, in phases, for a certain nutritional lifestyle. While the majority of weight-loss occurs in phase one (the "crash" portion of the diet), phases two and three are a healthy and gradual progression from diet to lifestyle. A better balance of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients is established with each phase, phase three being optimal for physical health.

The Research:
In order to assess its long-term effects, researchers are conducting an ongoing study of 3,000 middle school students in three Florida schools where the South Beach Diet has replaced traditional cafeteria menus. So far, 75% of students have experienced a weight loss of five pounds or more, and 86% of students surveyed reported improvements in the taste and quality of their lunch.

Conclusion:
Out of all the diets featured, the South Beach Diet possesses the best balance of weight-loss and maintenance, and health benefits for concerned dieters. While enabling dramatic weight-loss in its initial phase, the South Beach Diet allows periods of adaptation through three distinct phases, presents a long-term game plan for sustained weight-loss, and, as a follower of the diet myself, represents my choice as the best option for a healthy lifestyle choice.

Side Bar:

Tired of paying for expensive dietary supplements and diet food? Here are five super foods, all under five dollars, that are sure to enhance any diet.

1. Balsamic Vinegar: When a tablespoon of oil just won’t cut it, reach for the jug of vinegar. In a study published by the Journal of Applied Physiology on low carbohydrate diets, the reintroduction of distilled vinegar to the diet after a period of carbohydrate fasting was found to help optimize the body's digestion of carbohydrates once reintroduced after a period of depletion.

2. Cinnamon: Instead of sugar in your coffee, try a pinch of cinnamon. Not only does it taste great, but in a study published by the journal Diabetes Care, cinnamon was also found to support digestive function, stimulate blood circulation, and relieve muscle inflammation.

3. Tuna: Over the years tuna has taken a bad rap over murky rumors of mercury content, but if you've got a craving for fish, there is no better balance of taste and nutrition. In addition to containing twice the healthy fat of salmon, albacore tuna is roughly half as calorically denseâ€"meaning more meat for you to eat!

4. Onions: You will be crying tears of joy, when you hear about this flavorful root’s health benefits. A three year study conducted at the Victorian Institute of Health in Australia, found that consuming one onion a day resulted in significant reductions in LDL cholesterol, and lipid (fat) formation in human test subjects.

5. Cucumber: Not only do they keep your salad tasting fresh but they also hydrate to the body. Widely regarded as one of the world's healthiest foods, the nutrients in cucumbers help regulate blood pressure, and soothe skin irritations. The veggie’s skin is also rich in fiber and contains beneficial minerals, especially silica, potassium and magnesium.
Sources:
1. Parsons, David. The dietary review. Nexxus Publishing. 2004
2. NASM (National academy of sports medicine). http://www.nasm.org
3. International food information council. Functional foods. http://www.ific.org
4. Mercola, Joseph. Total health program. Virgin Publishing. 2005
5. FDA (Federal department of agriculture). http://www.fda.gov
6. Frankin, Dennis Ph.D. Low carb complications. Sparrow Publishing. 2004.

Send This To A Friend