NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

January 14, 1999

Nothing New This Year about Fad Diets

Vowing to lose weight remains a perennial favorite among those who make new year's resolutions, and fad diets are part of that annual ritual. But many seemingly new diet plans are actually disguised versions of exotic eating schemes from the past, says a licensed registered dietitian with the North Dakota State University Extension Service.

"All fad diets will help people lose weight for the short time they're eating fewer calories, but research shows that 95 percent of all diets fail. It's because people who go on these diets aren't adopting eating habits they can use for the rest of their lives," says Julie Garden-Robinson, extension food and nutrition specialist at NDSU.

Three currently popular diets are Dr. Atkin's Diet Revolution, The Zone and Sugar Busters. Unlike some fad diets, the Dr. Atkin's plan instructs dieters not to count calories. It also advises dieters to eat only fats and proteins—and to avoid all carbohydrates.

"The premise of this diet is that metabolic imbalance is the primary cause of obesity," Garden-Robinson says. "The proponents of this diet claim carbohydrate intolerance is a factor in health problems such as heart attacks and diabetes. In actuality, this diet can put a person into ketosis, which is a physiological state whereby fat is rapidly burned and hunger supposedly abated. But ketosis can lead to coma and ultimately death. This is the same state some uncontrolled diabetics experience."

Garden-Robinson says other potential health risks that could result from following the Dr. Atkin's diet plan include dehydration, nausea and kidney problems (perhaps even kidney failure), due to a buildup of uric acid from excessive protein consumption. Adherence to this diet also could contribute to coronary heart disease.

"Fortunately, most people give up fad diets before experiencing the possible health consequences," Garden-Robinson says.

The Zone diet also recommends rebalancing the three dietary compounds: fat, protein and carbohydrate. Garden-Robinson says The Zone restricts daily nutrient intake to a 1,200-calorie maximum, of which 30 percent should come from fat, 30 percent from protein and 40 percent from carbohydrates.

"You will lose weight on this diet because of the reduction in calories," Garden-Robinson says. "Even if you're eating fewer calories, you need to maintain a balance of fats, protein and carbohydrates. The current recommendation is 30 percent of your daily calories from fat, 10 to 15 percent from protein and 55 to 60 percent from carbohydrates."

The Zone has been tested on elite athletes, Garden-Robinson says, but government researchers are still unsure of how it works, aside from the weight-loss effect resulting from the reduced calorie intake.

Like The Zone, Sugar Busters is a diet comparatively high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Garden-Robinson says this diet can promote heart disease. The creators of Sugar Busters are physicians who claim they each lost more than 20 pounds without exercising or eliminating fat. They recommend avoiding potatoes, corn, beets, carrots, white rice, white bread, corn syrup and molasses. They stress that dieters should eat fruit only by itself, and they say acceptable meats for this diet include elk, alligator, pheasant and quail.

"All of these high-protein diets are basically the same," Garden-Robinson says. "After all, when you're dealing with only three compounds—protein, fat and carbohydrates—how much can you change?"

So, if fad diets aren't the solution, how can people lose weight—and keep it off? One way is by following the guidelines of the 5 Plus 5 promotion that's underway in the state, Garden-Robinson says. Strive to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day in an overall balanced diet based on the Food Guide Pyramid.

"All foods can fit into a healthy eating plan," Garden-Robinson says. "Controlling portion size, and therefore calorie intake, is a major factor in weight control."

The second 5 in the 5 Plus 5 Promotion involves physical activity. Get about 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five times a week. That daily amount of activity can accumulate rather than occur all at once.

"Doing something for five or 10 minutes at a time until your total reaches 30 minutes is OK too," explains Garden-Robinson. "And activities can include gardening, walking, shoveling, washing a car or house windows, raking leaves—just about anything. The only rule is that the less strenuous the activity is, the longer you'll need to do it to enjoy a health benefit. For example, washing a car for 30 minutes is not as beneficial as walking for 30 minutes, but everything helps."

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187

Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136