As a dietitian I’ve evolved over the years into someone who is vigilant in watching out for fad diets and warning others about them. And unfortunately I feel like nowadays almost everything is a fad diet.
Marketed as lifestyles, personalities, cultures, cliques or identities – ways of eating that are exclusive and restrictive have a hold on us. With social media becoming the #1 source of trustworthy “reporting” I don’t see that getting any better and only getting more severe as we get more and more hooked on our phones.
And, I don’t see the desire for a toned down, slim, petite body going away any time soon. Though it’s against everything I believe a person should be known for, we as a society still hold onto the thin ideal for some reason. Alas, fad diets keep us stuck in the cycle.
Here are 5 ways that you can spot a fad diet instantly. Remember, you are a smart and educated person. Even if you’re not (I don’t know – LOL), you have the internet at your fingertips. Do some Googling. Think about your life or the people you know. Think deeper about things before you trust someone’s orders at face value.
5 Obvious Signs of Fad Diets (& how to avoid falling for them)
- Sounds too good to be true. You will know this when you hear it. If it’s very simple, or an “easy” fix, it will not work. It either is a lie, or it’s unsustainable. I promise you that if there were a simple way to go about dieting, everyone would know about it. There will not be a revolutionary solution. I promise.
- There is elimination of some kind. If you’re encouraged to “cut out” or “eliminate” any foods, it’s a fad. This is not to say that there aren’t some foods that should be eaten more & some foods that should be eaten less, but FULL elimination is just used to get your attention. It’s possible to eat literally any food and be healthy. Trust me on that one.
- Specific claims about foods & weight loss are made. This is something like, “bananas are making you gain belly fat!” or “drink apple cider vinegar every day to cut belly fat!” There are NO foods that have been proven to have a direct effect on our bodies. Unless you have an allergy, sensitivity or intolerance that causes a physiological response. In normal, healthy people it’s just not the case. It’s a fad.
- Buzzwords. Here is a (non-exhaustive) list: toxins, detox, inflammatory, cleanse, cheat, clean, hormones. These are broad words and the context is unclear. You’re not sure how the words fit with the diet, but you know that you don’t want any of this to be out of whack so you subscribe.
- Cost. Fad diets are not free. Whether it’s actual money or even time, there will be a cost. Fad diets have an alluring exclusivity to them. If it costs a lot of money it must work. If it costs me a lot of my time to spend on the diet whether cooking, prepping, shopping or researching, then it must be worth it. It isn’t worth it.
There are others but these are my top 5! I’ve found at least one, if not all, of them to be the case in every single fad diet I come across. They’re glitzy and glamorous and requite a lot of time and attention – convincing you that anything that has that criteria must be worth it in the end. And it gets you, and gets you again.
If you’re tired of the cycle then reach out to me. What I do for a living is help people break the cycle of fad dieting and finally understand what it’s like to live a life free of food rules and regulations!