Fad diets are sometimes known as food fad-ism. Any time one particular food suddenly becomes a superstar, that’s a food fad. Common aspects of these fads include:
- The food is attributed with miraculous powers.
- Some foods must be avoided because they have equally amazing powers, but that do bad things.
One of these fad diets that has these elements is the Atkins diet. Carbohydrates are avoided like the plague, because a carbohydrate low diet can do amazing things for your body. Low carbohydrates are extremely desirous in Atkins, because then the body enters a super fat burning condition. This diet had a number of short periods of extreme carbohydrate avoidance, followed by long periods of sustainable low carbohydrate eating. However, many people are able to continue the Atkins diet for years.
The Atkins diet was also one of these fad diets in that huge popularity was fairly short-lived. For a number of years anyone who thought of dieting thought about the Atkins diet . People from Hollywood actors to politicians were all on the Atkins diet. When Dr. Atkins died to superstardom of his diet died with him.
Many fad diets can be quite dangerous. The Subway diet made popular in television commercials wasn’t exempt. It revolves around the extreme weight loss case of Jared who ate Subway sandwiches and baked chips to lose over 250 pounds in the span of a single year. In reality Jared cut his caloric intake from over 10,000 calories a day to only 900. Such an extreme level of caloric intake cuts and rapid weight loss is unhealthy. Even so, the Subway diet when followed in moderation can work. Particularly because the diet included exercise — Jared walked 6 miles a day while losing the weight.
Beware of fad diets. A long-term eating strategy combined with moderate exercise is usually the better bet.
