A diet, by definition, is what a person or animal eats on a regular basis. But it has instead come to ,mean something you follow for a short time, just long enough to lose x pounds before going back to your old habits, and regaining the weight and then some. We live in a society which, in general, abhorrs "fatness." The media bombard us with images of men and women with so-called "ideal" bodies (often unhealthy) that the great majority of people can never aspire to, giving rise to a whole host of body image issues, from muscle dysmorphia to clinical eating disorders. (*sigh* that's a rant for another day). Yet paradoxically, this same culture is always on the lookout for the latest food trends. And in the United States, more than half the adult population is clinically overweight or obese. In such a self-contradictory culture, the diet and weight loss industry preys on the vulnerabilities of the public and therefore is fast becoming a very powerful and extremely lucrative business. And I don't like it one bit.
(One friend quipped on my low carb rant, "Brian was telling you to read diet books? No wonder you developed an eating disorder!" But to be fair, he didn't think I needed to lose weight, just thought I'd find them interesting.) Anyway, he mostly suggested low-carb type books as well as the Metabolic Typing Diet and a few others. Of course, this didn't even make a dent into the "diet" section in the local library, which, for curiosity's sake, i sometimes delved into as well. I personally don't trust half these "diets" further than i can throw the damn books across the room -- which is what i wanted to do with some of them. Granted i sometimes also want to send my nutrition text books flying, too. But some of these diets and "weight loss" aids, man, absolutely ridiculous!!!
Often the claims they make are based on little or no scientific research, just (paid) testimonies from a few people claiming that they lost (x) pounds on the (blank) diet, or they went down (y) dress/pant sizes in so many days following the (whatever) plan. Those that supposedly do have studies to back them up, you have to look at who is funding the research. Like that study that supposedly "concluded" that eating dairy helps you lose weight... paid for by Dannon Yogurts. Hmmm. And then you have to wonder about how they're interpreting the studies. I was a psychology major before switching to nutrition, and the first thing you learn about research studies is that correlation does not necessarily equal causation. How do you know that x made y happen? How do you know something else wasn't involved? Even well-organized studies often overlook crucial variables.
Oh yes, and amazing that the creators of some of these diets are so willing to put on the market convenient "meal" bars or shakes to help you adhere to their programs. Even Dr. Phil has his own line of this stuff! (Please do not get me started on what I think of Dr. Phil giving weight loss advice.) I admit to occassionally having an organic food bar or mixing up a Spirutein shake, especially when i traveled with skating. But some people consume these highly processed bars and shakes on a regular basis, sometimes for meals and snacks. Do you read the ingredient labels on these things? If someone offered all those chemicals and byproducts served up on a plate (or in a glass), how appetizing would that be? Sure, they are "fortified" with so many nutrients. Personally i feel that true nutrition (not the same as dietetics) goes beyond digesting and absorbing various vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients... but again, that's a rant for another day.
Speaking of chemicals, diet pills aren't going to do squat unless you also change your eating and exercise habits. Otherwise as soon as you stop taking them, wham, there comes the weight again. Not to mention the dangers of the pills themselves. Case in point: phen-fen. And i'm sure we'll soon be hearing that about many more so-called "miracle" weight loss drugs. Maybe in the case of people who are morbidly obese they can be an aid, i don't know, i haven't done research on that, but i honestly feel that they are way overpresecribed. Even so-called "natural" weight loss aids,; popping an herbal tablet or amino acid or vitmain capsule is still popping a pill, and not a long-term solution. Plus, even "natural" isn't 100% safe.
And those #$%& carb-blockers. If i hear one more commercial for that sort of thing i might scream. "Oh, go ahead and indulge in whatever you want, this special ingredient in (insert product name) will block the carbs from being absorbed and you will lose weight without watching what you eat!" Ummm... anyone else think this sounds dangerously similar to laxative abuse or "purging" in eating disorders? Is this just me?
The only part i agree with any "diet" programs is that most concede that in the long run, you need to exercise regularly, get enough (but not too much) dietary fat and protein, get plenty of fiber and water, and fill your plate primarily with fruits, leafy vegetables, and whole grains. (Unless, of course, you read the No Grain Diet.) Really, though, did you need to get that info from a diet book?
Here i will be an equal opportunity nitpicker and state that even a plant-based diet isn't necesssarily healthy if a person is subsisting mostly on french fries, refined grains, and "tofu dogs." But we already knew that ;)
Author John Robbins laments that he objected strongly when his publisher gave his first book the title Diet For a New America because he hates the connotations of "diet" and is disgusted with the weightloss industry today. His first book wasn't even intended to be a weight-loss book. He was talking about how a plant-based diet benefits the Earth as well as human beings' personal health. But ironically, many people followed his suggestions for healthy lifestyle changes, and found that they lost most of their excess weight and were much healthier overall.
Hmm... change your lifestyle, get healthy. What a concept.
