Fad diets work, and many celebrities present real-life examples of how effective such diets can be. The article "4 Day Diet Plans" features examples of successful weight-loss fad diets adopted by Curtis Jackson (50 Cent), Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé Knowles, and Christian Bale. Carolyn Strange references the rapid weight loss of Knowles in the WebMD article of 2008 "Can Fad Diets Work?"
Strange observes that "When singer Beyoncé Knowles needed to lose 22 pounds in a hurry for her role in the film Dreamgirls, she went on a crash diet that consisted of drinking a mixture of water, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup as a substitute for regular meals. She lost the weight..." Those impressed with Knowles' dramatic weight loss adopted the new fad, and the so-called Maple Syrup Diet became a new diet craze.
Fad Diet Practiced with Zeal
Fad is defined by Merriam Webster Student Dictionary as "a practice or interest followed for a short time with zeal: craze." In accordance with the definition, any eating plan or diet that is "followed for a short time with zeal," may be also be defined as a craze or fad. Dieters who are obsessed with losing weight for a special event often diet with zeal for a short period of time. The problem with incorporating such short-term zeal is that the weight-loss results are also short-term.
As demonstrated by the example of Beyoncé Knowles, once the dieter stops the diet - the weight loss results stop; the weight that was lost is regained. So fad diets work, but only for a limited time. In fact, any extreme diet will be successful as long as the dieter burns more calories than he/she consumes. The reason that fad diets are often successful (for a short time) is that the overzealous dieter strictly adheres to the diet.
Overzealous Dieters Successful - but How Long Should Diet Obsession Last?
What happens if the dieter is able to maintain the level of zeal? A possible eating disorder. Some psychologists believe that obsessive-compulsive disorders (which require excessive zeal) are related to eating disorders. As early as 1995, researchers investigated a possible link in the "Obsessive-compulsive Disorder among Patients with Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa" published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Many fad diets are successful due to the mindset and determination of the dieter, not due to the make-up of the diet. A weight-loss regimen followed with fanaticism will be successful, but most dieters cannot maintain the level of obsessiveness required to maintain a diet such as the "apple and cigarette" diet of Christian Bale without either eventually abandoning the diet or suffering debilitating effects of nutritional deficiency.
Dukan Diet
As noted, fad diets that incorporate a calorie deficit are often successful. David Katz M.D. ponders if the Dukan diet (named for Pierre Dukan) will become the next fad diet of 2011 in the December 27, 2010, article "Dukan Diet: The Fad Diet of 2011?" Katz writes that "The diet seems to involve cutting out most foods -- carbohydrate foods in particular -- to lose weight fast. Then, foods are slowly added back to make the diet livable." He adds that "Quick-fix diets such as this do, indeed, cause rapid weight loss. So what?" Katz is critical because such diets are not "long-term."
Dr. Harold Katz continues the criticism in the December 6, 2010, article "The Latest Hollywood Diet May Cause Bad Breath." Says Dr. Harold Katz, of the Dukan Diet, it "is the current craze amongst well-known celebrities....How does it work? It calls for long periods of time of consuming solely protein -- not even vegetables are allowed."
But Katz explains that "Eating only protein-based diet can cause bad breath, among other unsavory side effects. A person consuming only protein (which most likely includes animal products) would most likely have very unpleasant breath."
2011 Fad Diets - Successful but Unsafe
Among other popular diet fads at the beginning of 2011 are those listed in the "Three Worst Fad Diets of 2011" Self Magazine article by Jenny Everett. She names the Paleo Diet, HCG Diet, and cleansing diets as the three worst diet crazes of 2011; although the dieter who adheres to these diet plans will likely lose pounds, Everett does not recommend the diets.
Everett elaborates on the flaws of each diet explaining that the Paleo diet eliminates too many "nutritious foods"; the HCG diet involves the injection of hormones which may "trigger ovarian cysts and lead to blood clots," and cleansing diets are dangerous because they may lead to the dieter to "disordered eating."
A dieter who engages in a crazed eating pattern will lose weight as long as he/she practices a calorie-deficit eating pattern. But a nutrient-deficient diet cannot be safely practiced for an extended period of time. Desperate dieters searching for the "quick-fix..rapid weight loss" mentioned by Dr. Davis Katz will be successful in the short-term, but not the long-term. If you are considering a new diet plan, remember that you will be eating for a lifetime and you must develop lifetime habits - not fads - that you can maintain.
Sources:
- Everett, Jenny. "Three Worst Fad Diets of 2011." Self. 2011
- Katz, David." Dukan Diet: The Fad Diet of 2011." 2011.
- Strange, Carolyn. "Can Fad Diets Work?" WebMD. 2008
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