Preview

Fad Dieting (Cause & Effect Paper)

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
999 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Fad Dieting (Cause & Effect Paper)
Often times the media portrays celebrities as attractive, skinny people that live wonderful lives of fame and fortune. It is easy to say that such popularity exists as a direct result of their physical appearance and therefore leads people to associate prosperity and happiness with looks. Sadly this media focus brings people to believe that dieting is necessary because they need to be skinny in order to feel accepted by society. One way people attempt to lose weight and change their appearance to resemble a celebrity’s is through dieting, especially fad dieting. Fad dieting is a quick, yet unhealthy, way to lose weight in a short amount of time.
There is not necessarily one fad diet that people turn to in efforts to lose weight, but a variety of them that all serve the same purposes. The primary goals of fad diets are to show quick results, easy implementation into daily routine and remarkable improvements in the overall views a person holds of themselves. They do this by specifying which individual foods or combinations of foods should be eaten, setting certain times people must eat and even completely eliminating certain types of foods from someone’s usual diet (Freedman, 2013).
Some of the most common fad diets include the Atkins Diet, the Rotation Diet and the Zone. The Atkins Diet recommends that dieters eliminate carbohydrates from their eating, the Rotation Diet suggest specific times that foods should be eaten and the Zone stresses the consumption of specific combinations of foods in an exact proportion of 40/30/30. Each diet obviously attacks weight loss from different perspectives of dieting and therefore presents more opportunities for people to find the one that fits them best. This is another reason people turn to fad dieting.
When a product promises quick results with simple steps to reach a targeted weight, it seems too good to be true. This feeling of disbelief occurs simply because a healthy diet that delivers fast, accurate results does not



References: Denke, M. A. (2001, July 1). Metabolic Effects of High-Protein, Low-Carbohydrate Diets. The American Journal of Cardioogy, Vol. 88. Retrieved March 7, 2013, from http://general.utpb.edu/fac/eldridge_j/kine6362/ancillaryfiles/High%20protein.pdf Freedman, M. R. (2013). Fad Diets. FAQs.org. Retrieved March 6, 2013, from http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Erg-Foo/Fad-Diets.html Halton, T. L. & Hu, F. B. (2004). The Effects of High Protein Diets on Thermogenesis, Satiety and Weight Loss: A Critical Review. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 23, No. 5, 373-385. Retrieved March 7, 2013, from http://www.jacn.org/content/23/5/373.full.pdf+html Papazian, R. (1993, September). On the Teen Scene Should You go on a Diet?. DietRiot.com. Retrieved March 6, 2013, from http://dietriot.com/fad/tennfad.htm Thiel, S. (2011, February 14). The Effects of Fad Dieting. Livestrong.com. Retrived March 9, 2013, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/381458-the-effects-of-fad-dieting/ (2011, August). Weight Loss and Fad Diets. Better Health Channel. Retrieved March 9, 2013, from http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Weight_loss_ and_fad_diets?open">Weight loss and fad diets - Better Health Channel

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Fad Diet Analysis

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Medifast is an extremely popular diet because of the fast results most people see while following this diet. It was developed by physicians and has been recommended by more than 20,000 doctors since 1980.…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Once assigned, the women read a book about their respective diet, then attended a weekly class for eight weeks, after which they were on their own. The study is reported as correlational research; women form each diet group were measured for the following variables: weight loss, HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol, and blood pressure. At the end of one year, the Atkins group lost an average of 10 pounds; the Zone dieters 3.5 pounds; the Ornish dieters almost 5 pounds, and the LEARN diet almost 6 pounds (Tanner, 2007). The Time.com article reports that "the Atkins women had slightly higher HDL cholesterol, the good kind, and slightly lower blood pressure than the other three diets" (Tanner, 2007,…

    • 828 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    One diet that could be considered a fad is the “3 Day Chemical Breakdown Diet”. The claims being are that the food being eaten in this diet is chosen in a unique way with unique combinations to chemically react and breakdown fat without exercising. Also, they Claim that one can lose up to 10 pounds in just 3 days. These are not considered as valid claims for many reasons. I have tried this diet and I know what they tell us to eat. They make us eat between 700 and 1000 calories maximum, so even without any chemical reactions, one will lose weight because of the sudden drop in calories. According to Lampert, Lynda who is a nurse and a medical writer specializing in medical, healthcare and nursing articles, “Many negative side effects come…

    • 340 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Levitsky, D., & Young, T. (2004). The more food young adults are served, The more they overeat. The Journal of Nutrition, 2546 – 2549.…

    • 1196 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fad Diet Research Paper

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A ‘fad diet’ is a diet that promises dramatic weight loss, which results in a short period of time. These diets usually remove all food groups and due to this do not actually provide the essential nutrients that we need for our everyday lives. These diets do not result in long-term weight loss and are a very unhealthy way of loosing weight. Fad diets are very intriguing because they all promise a quick fix. Nutritionists are concerned about fad diets because they can cause symptoms like dehydration, weakness, fatigue, nausea, headaches, constipation and inadequate nutrients that our bodies need.…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Obesity has become one of the leading causes of death in America. It can lead to heart disease, stroke, specific types of cancers and Type II diabetes. Statistics show that in 2011 35.7% of Americans are obese. That is more than one third of adults in this country. Worldwide it has been reported that over 500 million people are considered to be obese. With the increase in this global epidemic there have been many creations of ways to lose the weight. People started looking for the “quick” fix instead of practicing the basic rules of diet and exercise. Most of the quick fixes to lose the extra weight and body fat fall short of expectations, and it can lead people to look elsewhere for a way to be thinner. It’s been seen within the last decade that people will go through extreme processes and treatments to be healthier.…

    • 1344 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Lose Weight Misconceptions

    • 1535 Words
    • 7 Pages

    People are always trying to lose weight: “Americans spend upwards of 60 billion dollars annually to lose weight”. Most weight loss tactics usually involve some type of quick way to shed those extra pounds such as diet foods, starvation, diet pills, supplements, eliminating certain foods, detoxes, etc. This list of ways to lose weight can go on and on, and they come with many different beliefs and misconceptions. People who lose weight in this manner have a tendency to gain the weight back, and often gain even more weight than when they started. Most of these ideas and plans to lose weight are only glorified advertisements to make losing weight look simple and easy, leading to many misconceptions to losing weight.…

    • 1535 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout history the concept of dieting for cosmetic purposes has resulted in the creation of numerous “fad-diets.” These diets often assist those who are trying to lose weight quickly, but find the weight loss difficult to maintain. In order for most diet-industries to thrive financially, their clients need to continue struggling with weight loss, and thus become reliant on the diet to reach their goals, or the dieter must change their lifestyle and become dependent on the diet psychologically (LA TIMES). Many of these diets often target young, college-aged women between the ages of 18 and 23, who are looking for fast, beautifying fixes to their self-image. Marketers often capitalize on this by placing advertisements and mentions of…

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Body Image vs. Self Esteem

    • 1565 Words
    • 7 Pages

    According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, diet is food and drink regularly provided or consumed. It is also defined as the regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one’s weight. The latter definition will be the one used for this research paper. Currently, up to fifty percent of women have tried dieting at some point in their lives and at least 90 percent of teenagers diet regularly. Due to this, the “diet fad” is worth billions with its government, pharmaceutical, and weight loss agencies funding it. Americans alone spend more money on weight loss programs and products than any other nation.…

    • 1565 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fad Diets Essay

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Some weight loss methods that are not safe are diets that restrict or exclude major food groups because they can be harmful to one’s health. Diets can affect more than just weight, the low-carb, and no-carb diets have the strongest potential for negative impact on thinking and cognition. According to Holly A Taylor a psychology professor at Tufts says “The brain needs glucose for energy, and diets low in carbohydrates can be…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Fad Diet Fallacies

    • 2459 Words
    • 10 Pages

    “How did Jennifer Lopez lose 40 pounds after having twin babies? The Dukan Diet is the answer!” or “Jennifer Hudson lost 80 Lbs! Thanks to Weight Watchers!” − thumb through any supermarket tabloid or spend only an hour in front of TV and you 'll catch a glimpse of the latest post-baby bikini-clad celebrity, promoting the next fad diet. The praise of rapid weight loss, promoted by famous people, sends the message to the public that this is a safe and achievable goal. However, nowadays many studies proved…

    • 2459 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Have you ever tried a fad diet? Then you know the truth. Fad diets are never a good idea no matter which one you choose. Fad diets don't have scientific evidence backing their plans. Though some of these diets have been around for years they are shrouded in mystery. The health concerns they create are worse than carrying a few extra pounds. There are safer ways to lose weight. Fad diets can be more than unhealthy they can have long-term affects.…

    • 1000 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Size Zero Short Report

    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The coffee and cigarettes diet is back in vogue, they follow diets that have no carbohydrates, there is even such thing as a skinny sushi, fish wrapped in a lettuce leaf, rather than rice, and personal trainers prescribe crazy regimes and bizarre diets, while cosmetic surgeons perform liposuction as often as Botox to get rid of excess fat.…

    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Eating Disorders

    • 1835 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Social media is an effective method of communication when it comes to spreading of new ideas and messages. Among these ideas are trending diets such as vegetarian, vegan, fruitarian, etc. Popular celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Ellen DeGeneres, and Natalie Portman (to name a few) are advocates for a healthier life by changing their eating habits. Although most of these dieting programs may not have been recently invented, the increased popularity of varying diets has also caused an increased concern for the effectiveness and harmfulness of different eating styles. The pros and cons of each diet can be confounding and yet predictable. Many researchers have discovered information that can help dieters stay safe and keep nutrient efficient…

    • 1835 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The people who attempt these programs are never taught to properly eat. It is either totally restrictive or an all-for-one in the kitchen. Binge eating is expected to happen if the dieters are not educated in what is right and wrong in nutrition. It is improbable to stay on a fad diet forever. Although avertisements for these programs almost advocate for obsession to them. In order for dieters on their plans to keep off the lose weight, they must consistently monitor and restrict food intake (Wells). The focus on these diets must stay constant, or it will result in the loss of all the hard work and patience that it took. A person should realize this from the beginning. No one wants to stay on a diet forever. If failure occurs in a diet, and 95% of the time diets do in the first year (¨Diet and Weight-Loss…¨), then binge eating is likely to occur. The body must be properly fed. When this many people fail, it is unbelievable how diets can still be so popular among Americans. Binge eating also occurs within people that do not have the disorder. A nutrient-deprived body will fight back with uncontrollable hunger…

    • 946 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays