Welcome to the seminar
on
An overview of Fad Diets
Meera Kaur, Ph.D., R.D.
Department of Family Medicine
Kaur@cc.umanitoba.ca
http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~kaur
Learning Objectives
To understand
 What is fad diet
 Why fad Diets
 Safety and efficacy of Fad diets
 Various types of fad diets
 The good, the bad and the ugly
diets
2
Outline
Definition
Why Fad Diets
Working principles, efficacy etc.
Various types of Fad diets
At the bottom line
3
Definition
Web Definition: a reducing diet that enjoys
temporary popularity
Medical Dictionary Definition: Any of a
number of weight-reduction diets that either
eliminate one or more of the essential food
groups, or recommend consumption of one
type of food in excess at the expense of other
foods; FDs rarely follow modern principles for
losing weight. See
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Why Fad diets?
Before
After
To
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Fad Diets: working
principles
 Efficacy
 Weight loss often quicker
 Loss of glycogen (low CHO) and water
 Very low calorie
 Satiety: protein and fat
 Health parameters
 Secondary to weight loss
 Long term
 Little difference
 Adherence lower
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The Good, the Bad, and
the Ugly
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Fad Diets: The Good
 Get with the Program or Best Life diet
 Weight Watchers
 Canada’s Food Guide
 The best, but
it’s
boring
8
Get With The Program
or Best Life Diet Bob Greene, PhD
 Premise: Focus on small phased changes,
food journaling, exercise and balanced diet.
Limits fat and alcohol
 Negative Health Implications: None
9
Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers International
 Premise: Foods are assigned a point value
based on fat, fibre, and calories. Number of
points limited per day based on actual weight.
Exercise encouraged. Support system
important, with weekly weigh-ins.
 Negative Health Implications: None.
10
Eating Well with Canada’s Food
Guide – NEW 2007
 http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-
aliment/index_e.html
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Fad Diets: The Bad
 South Beach
 Sugar Busters
 The Zone
 Dr. Phil’s Ultimate Weight Solution
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South Beach Diet
Arthur Agatston, MD
 Premise: Limiting total carbs and increasing
protein, while choosing the “right fats and the
right carbs” you will lose weight as you will
have less cravings.
 Negative Health Implications: Lacks
fibre in the first two weeks, lacks vitamins and
minerals in the first two weeks. Rules difficult to
follow. Based on faulty science.
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Sugar Busters
H. Leighton Steward; Morrison C. Berthea, M.D.;
Sam S. Andrews, M.D.; and Luis A. Balart, M.D.
Premise: Sugar is toxic, causing the body to
release insulin and store excess body sugar as
body fat.
Negative Health Implications: Kidney and
liver damage, fatigue, weakness and irritability.
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Enter the Zone
Barry Sears, Ph.D.
Premise: Follow rigid, obscure rules, such as
eating in “macronutrient blocks” and eliminating
carbohydrates.
Negative
Health
Implications:
Nutrient
deficiency, increased risk of coronary heart
disease, high cholesterol.
15
Dr. Phil’s Ultimate
Weight Solution
Phil McGraw, PhD
 Premise: Uses Glycemic Index, supplements
and behaviour coaching to promote weight loss.
 Negative Health Implications: Supplement
use questionable.
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Fad Diets: The Ugly
 Eat right for Your type
 Suzanne Somers (food combining)
 Protein Power
 Herbal Magic (supplements/herbal
remedies)
 Atkins
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Eat Right For Your Type
Peter J. D’Adamo, N.D.
 Premise: claims that an individual’s blood
type should determine what to eat and to
avoid.
When a particular blood type
consumes "off-limit" foods, the effect is akin
to a transfusion of mismatched blood.
Recommended caloric intake varies widely
from day to day.
 Negative
Health
Implications:
Current scientific research does not
support D’Adamo’s claim that blood type
determines an individual’s response to
certain foods.
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Sommersize (etc.)
Suzanne Sommers
 Premise: These diets maintain that eating
foods in certain combination will help you
burn fat more effectively, boost your
metabolism, and in some cases "reduce
mucus." Many food combining diets
eliminate dairy products,
 Negative
Health
Implications:
Inadequate
calcium,
faulty
science,
reducing mucus has questionable value
 Testimonial
 “I would eat 7-8 small pieces of fruit, wait 20 minutes or
more and have 2 cups of Grape Nuts. “
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Protein Power
Michael Eades, M.D. and Mary Eades, M.D.
Premise: Low in fiber, high in fat, claims human
body has no physical need for carbohydrates;
should be completely avoided.
Negative Health Implications: Increased risk
for coronary heart disease, high cholesterol,
nutrient deficiency.
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Dr. Atkins’ New Diet
Revolution
Robert Atkins, M.D.
Premise:
Eliminate sugar and refined
carbohydrates from the diet to achieve “Benign
Dietary Ketoacidosis,” which will lead to
decreased hunger and a “metabolic advantage.”
Negative Health Implications: Research
has shown that diets high in saturated fats, such
as this, are detrimental to health and more likely
to cause obesity. Ketosis is often accompanied
by nausea, headaches, bad breath and fatigue.
High-protein diets may exacerbate kidney disease
and gout. High meat intake can increase risk of
certain cancers.
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Eat More, Weigh Less
Dean Ornish, M.D.
 Premise: Calories from fat cause one to
become fat; however, the author does
concede that calories consumed above
maintenance levels contribute to weight gain.
The average amount of calories ranges
between 1,200 and 1,350 calories a day.
 Negative Health Implications: Very
difficult to follow, compounding feelings of
helplessness and failure. Fat intake may be
too low…theoretical risk related to deficiency
of fat and essential fatty acids.
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Herbal Magic (et al)
 Premise: Special herbal supplements
along with diet and exercise will help with
weight loss
 Negative health implications:
Little evidence regarding the safety or
efficacy of supplements (e.g. ephedra).
Costly.
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A Quick Comparison
Atkins
Protein Power
Sugar Busters
The Zone
ADA
High Fiber
Pritikin
Ornish
Anderson, J., Konz, E & Jenkins, D., 2000
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Focus: Low Carb. Diets
What’s the big deal????
Katz, D.L., 2005
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Fad Diets: The Reality
Anderson, J., Konz, E & Jenkins, D., 2000
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Starting
Weight
5%
Weight
Loss
10%
Weight
Loss
Kg
Lb
Kg
Lb
Kg
Lb
68
150
3.4
7.5
6.8
15
73
160
3.6
8
7.2
16
77
170
4
8.5
8
17
82
180
4
9
8
18
86
190
4.6
9.5
9.2
19
90.9
200
4.5
10
9
20
113.6
250
5.7
12.5
11.4
25
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Resources and Tools
 Websites:
 AMA

http://www.amaassn.org/ama/pub/category/10931.html
 Ohio State Medical School

http://devweb3.vip.ohio-state.edu/patedu.htm
 National Obesity Initiative

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/practgde.ht
m
 Dietitians of Canada

www.dietitians.ca
 2006 Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines on the
management and prevention of obesity in adults
and children. Canadian Medical Association
Journal;176(8), online.
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Resources and Tools
 Subscribe to Nutrition Action Newsletter
 http://www.cspinet.org/canada/index.html
 Scientific review of popular diets
 http://www.obesityresearch.org/cgi/reprint/9/suppl_1
/33S.pdf
 Low Carb Diets “Critique”
 http://www.atkinsexposed.org/atkins/1/Atkins.htm
 The Zone Diet Phenomenon: A Closer Look
at the Science behind the Claims
 Cheuvront, S. (2003). Journal of the American
College of Nutrition; 22(1); 9-17
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