Fad Diets: Why Are They Bad for Health?

A fad diet means a restricted eating plan that lacks in sufficient calories. It is one of the methods for quick weight loss. There are different types of fad diets such as negative calorie diet, low fat diet, low carb diet, 3-day diet and zone diet. However, before you opt for the fad diets, you need to know about its effects on health.

Obesity is one of the serious problems found all over the world. It can give rise to several health problems. Therefore, you need to lose excess body weight and maintain healthy weight. There are different methods of weight loss such as medications, exercise and diet. Many people prefer the fad diet for immediate weight loss. But, it can have many adverse effects on your health. In fact, healthy diet is essential for maintaining appropriate body weight, physical fitness and strength and for overall good health. It should contain a correct proportion of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

What is a fad diet?

Fad diets include various types of diets such as very low-fat diets, very low-carb diets, paleo diets, vegan and macrobiotic diets, raw food and also, diets such as blood type and metabolic type. These diets have very low calories and hence, they may result in a quick weight loss. However, it may not be beneficial for your health. In most cases, it is not fat loss, but it’s actually water loss. Most fad diets are short-term diet plans and their menus are monotonous and do not provide adequate nutrition.

Effects of Fad Diets on Your Health

Fad diets that promise easy and quick weight loss involve eating one type of food. It doesn’t give the benefits that a balanced diet provides. It is suggested that you can take dietary supplements. But, the fact is that many supplements are absorbed by the body only if they are taken along with foods, which are not allowed in fad diets. If you stick to fad diets for a prolonged time, then you may develop nutritional deficiencies.

Usually, fad diets are over-restrictive and boring. After the first few days, you will not be able to enjoy these foods and probably give up this diet. Many fad diets don’t allow consuming enough servings of vegetables and fruits. Hence, you may develop the deficiencies of essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

Our body requires the right proportion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats such as 45-65% of carbohydrates, 20-35% of fats and 10-35% of proteins through the diet. This requirement is not fulfilled through very low-fat or very low-carb diets. Very low-fat diets can cause deficiencies of essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. There may be also insufficiency of fat-soluble vitamins including A, D, E and K. Very low-carb diets contain a high amount of proteins. Such high-protein diet is not suitable for people having chronic kidney diseases. There is a possibility of developing osteoporosis (bone loss) due to excessive calcium excretion by the body in order to buffer acidity. Very low-carb diets exclude whole grains. As a result, there may be deficiency of fiber, thiamine (B1), magnesium and folate. Lack of dairy foods can give rise to the deficiency of vitamin D, calcium and riboflavin. You may suffer from the deficiencies of vitamins A and C as well as folate and potassium due to insufficient quantity of fruits and starchy vegetables in the diet.

Vegan diets don’t at all allow any kind of animal products. Generally, they are rich in carbohydrates and fibers. They contain a very low amount of creatine, which is a constituent of meat. This supplement is essential for bodybuilding. Vegan diets are also deficient in iron, calcium, zinc and vitamins B12 and C.

Quick weight loss can be a temporary solution. Fad diets don’t lead to any permanent weight loss. It may lose weight as long as you stick to the diet program. However, once you move on to your regular diet, there will be a quick and significant weight gain.

Some healthy eating guidelines are as follows:

• Eat large amount of vegetables and fruits, beans, whole grains, seeds and nuts. You can also include some lean meats, eggs, fish, low-fat dairy products as well as mono and polyunsaturated oils. They provide all the nutrients that are essential for your health.


• Drink plenty of water, as it is necessary for maintaining proper functioning of body organs.


• Limit intake of foods containing saturated fats, excess salt, excess added sugars and alcohol. Such foods can increase obesity.

It is always better to have a healthy and balanced diet and regular exercise to maintain a healthy body weight, rather than having fad diets. Fad diets can make you deficient in essential nutrients affecting your overall health. Proper nutrition is very essential for a healthy, quality life. Eat healthy and live healthy!