Overweight and obesity are nutrition problems that have been neglected for so long. In fact, in the Philippines alone, three (3) out of ten (10) Filipinos are overweight and obese, moreover, prevalence of obesity for Filipino adults had increased from 20.2 percent in 1998 to 37.2 percent in 2018 based on the 2018 National Nutrition Survey conducted by Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI). This problem is something that we should put more attention to because obesity is one of the causes of many diseases such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, diabetes and many more. Hence, a lot of people are engaged on various weight loss programs to prevent them from being obese. Aside from preventing obesity, some people also wanted to stay looking great by trying to reach their body weight goals.

Whatever may be the reason for losing weight, this should be done in a proper and healthy way. However, many are trying to lose weight abruptly by trying out the many trendy fad diets in this modern time.

What are fad diets? These are diets with weight-loss plan that promises unreasonably fast weight loss and dramatic results. Naturally, these diets are NOT HEALTHY and don’t result in long-term weight loss. Furthermore, these diets can actually be dangerous to your health and would lead to many unpleasant side effects like deprivation of nutrients, muscle loss, metabolism slow down, headache and poor sleep. So, before you commit to any of the fad diets, here are some facts and myths that you should know:

MYTH: Fad diets are good and healthy for you.

FACT: Fad diets are unhealthy and are not recommended for every one due to the negative effects to the body like rapid dehydration, get tired quickly, get serious digestive problems and later suffer from malnutrition.

MYTH: Fad diets will help you lose weight

FACT: These diets may help you lose weight at first but they are usually hard to follow and maintain that often times people get tired of them and regain their lost weight. In fact, losing more than 1-2 pounds per week is considered too fast and could put you at risk on many health problems such as muscle loss, gallstones, nutritional deficiencies and a drop in metabolism.

MYTH: You don’t need to exercise as long as you eat less.

FACT: Regular exercise helps reduce your appetite and burns calories more efficiently. Incorporating exercise with a healthy plan is the only healthy way to lose weight. Adding weight-training exercises will also help you build lean muscle and lose body fat.

Losing weight does not happen overnight. It takes time, determination and long-term commitment to achieve better results. You can seek real evidence-based nutrition advices from nutrition experts such as Registered or Licensed Nutritionist Dietitians to ensure that you are on the right path on your weight loss journey. Remember that there are no shortcuts in achieving success, even in losing weight. Proper health management can only be achieved through eating a well-balanced diet, regular exercise and less consumption of unhealthy foods.

Say no to fad diets and yes to proven healthy weight management!

NOI Angelica O. Pajulas

References:

1. Debunking the Weight Loss & Diet Myths from

https://www.uspm.com/debunking-the-weight-loss-diet-myths/#:~:text=Myth%3A%20Fad%20diets%20will%20help,weight%20and%20keep%20it%20off.&text=These%20diets%20may%20help%20you,the%20nutrients%20your%20body%20needs.

2. Debunking 8 ‘Fad’ Diet Myths

https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/debunking-8-fad-diet-myths.html

3. Fad Diets: Myths vs. Facts

https://www.templehealth.org/about/blog/fad-diets-myths-vs-facts