The Skinny of Fad Diets Published March 19, 2007 By Renee Beringer Health and Wellness Dietician POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- March is National Nutrition Month and the Pope Health and Wellness Center staff encourages members to consider being 100 percent fad free and achieve a healthy lifestyle through proven, science-based approaches to healthy eating. The HAWC has a registered dietitian who has the skill and knowledge to translate nutrition science into practical meal planning. A registered dietitian can assist with eating disorders; work with your healthcare team by helping you change your eating plan pre- or post-surgery; and help you set goals for athletic performance - whether you're running a marathon or jogging with your dog. Diet fads come and go, and some may help you lose weight in the short term. From low-carbohydrate to faith-based, there are a number of weight-loss options available for consumers, but which diet, if any, is the best for you? Finding the best choice involves looking beyond the bookshelf and developing a plan that's tailored to fit a person's specific health background and nutrition needs; that means working with an expert -- a registered dietitian. According to the American Dietetic Association, it is true that you can lose weight on virtually any diet. If you eat less, and exercise more, it is a fact that you will lose weight. The question is, can you maintain a healthy lifestyle over the long term - your life? The real key to reaching long term goals is to focus on your overall health. Healthful eating is accomplished by utilizing practical nutrition guidance and focusing attention on making informed food choices and developing sound physical activity habits. The following key messages will promote a 100 percent fad free lifestyle: - Develop an eating plan for lifelong health. Too often, people adopt the latest food fad rather than focusing on overall health. Get back to basics and use the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid as your guide to healthy eating. - Take a personalized approach to dietary advice and weight management, because one size does not fit all. - Eat a variety of foods from every group -- in balance and in moderation. - Pay attention to calorie, fat, carbohydrate, sodium and fiber consumption. - Understand how healthy eating and physical activity are both important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Choose foods sensibly by looking at the big picture. Diet trends often focus on one food or one nutrient, promising it will be the magic bullet for losing weight and keeping it off forever. But when registered dietitians analyze a weight-loss plan, invariably it turns out that the key is reducing your intake of calories. A single food or meal will not make or break a healthful diet. When consumed in moderation in appropriate portions, all foods can fit into a healthful diet. Learn how to spot a food fad. Unreasonable or exaggerated claims that eating (or not eating) specific foods, nutrient supplements or combinations of foods may cure disease or offer quick weight loss are key features of fad diets. Find your balance between food and physical activity. It's all about the calories you put into your body versus the calories you burn. Eat a balanced diet with mostly fruits, vegetables and whole grains as your base. Accompany this with daily physical activity to help your body burn those calories so you can maintain a healthier weight. Regular physical activity is important for your overall health and fitness, plus it helps control body weight, promotes a feeling of well-being and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. Food and nutrition misinformation can have harmful effects on your health and well-being, as well as your wallet. Registered dietitians are qualified to communicate current and emerging science-based nutrition information and are an instrumental part of developing a diet plan that meets your individual needs. Eating for health and performance involves balancing the energy equation, eating every two to four hours, portion control, eating nutrient dense foods, and making healthy choices. For assistance in achieving this through one-on-one counseling or by attending classes, call the HAWC at 394-4242 to help you better manage diabetes mellitus, elevated cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, underweight or overweight, and any other nutrition concerns. Call to register for any of these classes or for an individual appointment. Dean Ornish Diet - Multifaceted approach focuses on reversal of heart disease but is also recommended for weight loss. His program incorporates aspects of nutrition, stress management, love and intimacy, and moderate exercise. - The diet is very low fat (10 percent) plant-based on unlimited intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and soy products. It incorporates moderate quantities of egg whites, and nonfat diary or soy products, and small amounts of sugar and white flour. - This diet suggests eating small meals all day long rather than three standard meals. (Registered dietitians recommend either way is acceptable when promoting sound nutrition advice). It is not endorsed by the American Dietetic Association or the American Heart Association. His overall recommendation does not restrict the amount of food consumed as long as fat intake stays under 10 percent for the day. This could lead to overweight or obesity in many people. Counter claims to this diet are: Prolonged adherence to low fat intakes can cause endocrine problems; extremely low fat diets can lead to deficiencies in essential fatty acids and reduced absorption of fat-soluble vitamins; and adherence to 10 percent fat diets is poor for the general population attempting weight loss. Diet concerns: It is low in vitamins E, B12 and zinc. It is difficult to adhere to and lacks palatability. With this diet focusing on vegetarianism, this could be very detrimental as most people do not understand how to eat according to safe and sound vegetarian nutrition guidelines. In short, it restricts specific foods. Thus, this would not be recommended from a registered dietitian in order to develop an eating plan for lifelong health and wellness. The Atkins Diet - Promotes state of ketosis* by limiting carbohydrate to 13 to 60 grams per day. - High protein/high fat foods are encouraged. - Proponents of high-fat, low-carbohydrate diets dismiss the notion that caloric intake is important to either weight gain or weight loss. Furthermore, proponents contend overproduction of insulin, driven by high carbohydrate intake, is the cause of the metabolic imbalance that underlies obesity. Advocates of low carbohydrate (CHO) diets propose a simple solution to this vicious cycle of CHO addiction, CHO overeating, hyperinsulinemia, etc., by putting their body in a state of ketosis. In short, Dr. Atkins' diet contends that a high-fat, low-CHO, high-protein, ketogenic diet results in weight loss, body fat loss, preservation of lean body mass, and correction of serious medical complications of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Concerns: Calories are not specified; diet is nutritionally inadequate, providing lower than recommended intakes of vitamin E, vitamin A, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium and dietary fiber. No calcium or potassium supplements, yet multiple other supplements. Diet is high in saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein. Research does prove that energy intake and energy expenditure are relevant when looking at weight gain and weight loss. Overweight and obesity results from an energy imbalance. Reduction of body weight and body fat can be achieved by creating an energy deficit. No scientific evidence exists to suggest that low-CHO ketogenic diets have a metabolic advantage over more conventional diets for weight reduction. Studies consistently show that under conditions of negative energy balance, weight loss is a function of caloric intake, not diet composition. *Ketosis: Physiological state when blood sugar levels drop so low that fat stores are broken down to ketone bodies for energy The South Beach Diet - Rely on "right carbs" and "right fats" to lose weight. - Three phase eating plan based on glycemic index. - Premise of eliminating high glycemic index foods is that they are lower in satiety and cause a rapid rise in blood glucose. - Premise that glycemic index is a factor in obesity due to hyperinsulinemia response to high glycemic foods. - Premise that hyperinsulinemia inhibits fat oxidation and promotes fatty acid synthesis. - Portion sizes are not enforced. - Lose eight to 13 pounds in first two weeks. Sample meal plan averages 1,550 to 1,600 calories per day, and all sweets, salty snack foods and alcoholic beverages except wine are discouraged. Plus, no validated studies confirm that eliminating high glycemic index foods will improve weight loss. Summary of evidence against this diet: Research reports no significant differences in energy intake or body weight after the consumption of a low-glycemic index diet.