Fad Diet --Option #1
Directions:
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Go online to gather information
Use appropriate internet sites as a guide
Provide a summary of your chosen fad diet
Compare it to the daily recommendations from the new Canada Food
Guide (does it meet the expectations?)
List 5 dangers of diets on the body (How does the body react in an
unhealthy way?)
Present your findings to the class next week in an original way
Remember: A diet has a beginning and an end. A lifestyle change is a
progressive change in habits.
Fad Diet: Fad diets are popular eating plans that are irrational or very unlikely to
produce the results they claim. Fad diets often make claims that go against
current recommendations by dietitians and nutritional agencies. A fad diet is a
diet that promises quick weight loss and is usually popular for only a short time.
Complete list of fad diets: http://www.everydiet.org/diets.htm
Examples of Fad Diets:
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South Beach
Blood type
Fat Flush
Zone
Weight Watchers
Atkins
Hollywood
Jenny Craig
Create a Fad Diet --Option #2
Try to use these principles to create your own fad diet statement to see how easy
it is for anyone to make a particular eating plan seem safe, sound, and effective.
Create a poster or an advertisement. The poster should be relevant to high
school students.
Here are some common features of fad diet ads that you can start with:
• easy • effortless • guaranteed • miraculous • magical • breakthrough • new
discovery • mysterious • exotic • secret • exclusive • ancient
Rubric
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5.
Poster is a custom fad diet
The poster is colored
Includes realistic or factual information (Eating unicorn nuggets = not real)
Includes at least 3 red flags of fad diets
More red flags will yield a higher score
Here are the basic hints for creating your own fad diet:
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No nutritional knowledge whatsoever.
A picture of someone who was slim 5 years ago, but is now larger.
Find a dandy slogan like "The all the potassium you want diet." "I Zinced away 50
pounds" "Low Sodium is Low Weight" Sorry folks, but you can't use fat, carbohydrates, or
fiber because a famous Doctor has beat you to each of them.
Try choosing menu items cannot be carried by a normal grocery store. For instance malt
syrup might be used on Bulgarian wheat toast.
Items should sound sort of healthy, but not really.
o Cottage cheese is an excellent example of this
o Saltine crackers are good.
o Castor oil is also effective.
Items must be repulsive (this is what nutritionists call an appetite suppressant). For
repulsive items you can kick up your diet if you allow people to eat tons of it.
o As many fish livers as you want.
o 12 grams of goat liver.
o On Thursday eat all of the boiled plantains you want…stuff yourself.
First pick a really short time span. Too long a time span and people won't be interested
(too much like reality).
Pick a promised weight reduction. I think most people don't think they can lose more than
4 pounds per day, so keep it a little less than that, but be positive. Also, give a large
range of weight loss. And put an official sounding disclaimer in there for good measure.
Here is an example:
o I lost 13 kilograms between Monday and Thursday and you can too! (my
experience may not be yours, however I am a very average person that has
never excelled at anything)