How To Identify A Fad Diet

It was another breezy summer afternoon when I opened up my laptop to find that a fan of my blog had sent me this tiny gem [1] from Wiki on Americans and weight loss:

"There is a substantial market for products which promise to make weight loss easier, quicker, cheaper, more reliable, or less painful. These include books, CDs, creams, lotions, pills, rings and earrings, body wraps, body belts and other materials, not to mention fitness centers, personal coaches, weight loss groups, and food products and supplements."

It went on...

"Between $33 billion and $55 billion is spent annually on weight loss products and services, including medical procedures and pharmaceuticals, with weight loss centers garnering between 6 percent and 12 percent of total annual expenditure. About 70 percent of Americans' dieting attempts are of a self-help nature.[1]"

Can you believe how much we spend? Yet the basics of healthy weight loss have been the same the world over. Exercise, eat a balanced diet, and get professional counseling to reach your healthy weight and feel good about your body. At least the article mentioned that part:

"Although often short-lived, these diet fads are a positive trend for this sector as Americans ultimately turn to professionals to help them meet their weight loss goals.[1]"

As you might already know, I'm one of those professionals. As a nutritional consultant who can never read enough on this interesting topic,  I love giving away what I know about healthy weight loss. That's why I really want you to "Kill the Diet & Eat Your Way To A Healthy Weight!" Your diet has failed you for the last time, and I want you to "know your enemy" so to speak. All you need to lose weight is permanently switch to simple, healthy eating and make these changes in a slow progression so that they last. This handy list I found describes some fad diets you may not have realized were actually fad diets:

http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/List_of_Fad_Diets

Some diets may not be listed here, but here's how to recognize a fad diet:

1) Research showing that it can only be followed for a certain period of time, implying that the ultimate effect on your body is harmful.

2) It is not FDA approved or it revolves around some specific food group (grapefruit, protein, soup, cabbage, etc...)

3) No scientific research or independent study other than the studies conducted by the diet's author exist, but plenty of unsupported, anecdotal "evidence" for its effectiveness does.

[1] Weight Loss on Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weight_loss

[2] List of Fad Diets

http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/List_of_Fad_Diets