Why Diets don't Generally Work
1. Companies Lie:
Many claims made by weight-loss programs are not truthful. Adverts maybe filled with testimonials about X Kgs of weight that are lost taking product Y. If it sounds too good to be true...it usually is.2. Diet plans that focus on a Single food are normally not healthy:
Remember the grapefruit diet? Me neither.
It's a good idea to eat a well balanced diet so that you can maintain vitamin and mineral levels. Far better to focus on a holistic approach which includes a healthy lifestyle (exercise etc.) and healthy eating. Common sense tell us that eating one food type is probably not a good idea, either from a health point of view or a weight loss point of view.
3. Magic pills can sometimes be magically dangerous:
The Chinese herb ma huang was banned by the Food and Drug Administration in April 2004 after causing more than 100 deaths between 1993 and 2000, as well as more than 900 adverse reactions. There are more examples and the less said about this the better. Beware.
4. Open wallet surgery:
Losing weight is hardwork. To paraphrase an old saying: "staying or getting fit is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration".
The weight-loss industry is a big money spinner with an estimated $60 billion spent on weight loss potions between 2008 and 2009. With obesity levels on the increase there is an ever bulging demand with unscrupulous companies eager to help you part with your money. Again, beware!
5. Boot camps work for a short period of time:
The no pain, no gain mentality works when you have highly motivated trainers and you are in an environment which encourages weight loss. However, at some point you have to return to normal "civilian" life. With no protection from the boot camp and with all the worldly temptations around you participants in boot camps soon return to the same old habits that contributed to the weight gain in the first place. If you lose weight quickly you usually gain it again quickly.
6. Open Wallet Surgery part II:
Weight loss surgery is on the increase and is expensive. A gastric bypass operation reduces the size of your stomach so fewer calories are absorbed. These procedures can be dangerous: According to the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, the mortality rate for gastric bypass is 1 in every 1,000 patients. Also a number of complications can occur including abdominal infection and gallstones.
Remember too that surgery of this nature can limit calcium absorption by the body. So, yes this may work but there can be consequences.
7. Go Light!:
Low-calorie foods and beverages are on the increase. But people are getting heavier. I am doing the arithmetic here and something does not add up.
Some products are being economical with the truth about their ingredients. Low fat products are products that have Fat removed which is true...but you have to replace the fat with something. From a product design point of view there are normally a couple of ways of doing this: 1. With air; 2. With water; 3. With carbohydrates.
So, calorifically the product may have the same or even more calories than full-fat versions.
