Myths about Weight Loss Programs

Weight loss programs

A survey was done recently to try and determine if any commercial diet program could prove long-term success. Not a single program could do so. So rampant has the so-called diet industry become with new products and false claims that the FDA has now stepped in and started clamping down.

Being seriously overweight and particularly obesity can develop into a number of diseases and serious health problems, and it is now a known fact that when caloric intake is excessive, some of the excess frequently is saturated fat.

The myth is that people get heavy by eating too many calories. Calories are a consideration it's true, but overall they are not the cause of obesity in America today. Americans actually take in fewer calories each day than they did at the beginning of the century. If calories alone were the reason we become overweight, we should all be thin. But we are not. Collectively, we are heavier than ever. Partly, it is because we are more sedentary now. But equally, as important is the fact that the fat content of the American diet has changed dramatically.

People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time. Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, such weight loss consists mostly of water and muscle. When the weight returns, it comes back as fat. To avoid getting fatter over time, increase your metabolism by exercising regularly.

Misunderstandings and Deceptive Statements

Recent prominent news stories have encouraged the circulation of significant misunderstandings among members of the public, sometimes further encouraged by inaccurate statements in the course of media interviews. Some patients may be confused or misled about important dietary issues based on the following inaccurate notions:

1. "High-protein diets cause dramatic weight loss."
The weight loss typically occurring with high-protein diets—approximately 20 pounds over the course of six months—is not demonstrably different from that seen with other weight-reduction regimens or with low-fat, vegetarian diets. People adopting vegetarian diets, which have a much more healthful nutrient pattern than high-protein diets, tend to lose approximately 10 percent of their body weight. Anecdotal accounts of greater weight loss with high-protein diets are atypical and may represent the additional effects of exercise or other factors.

2. "Fat and cholesterol have nothing to do with heart problems."
Abundant evidence has established the ability of dietary fat and cholesterol to increase cardiovascular disease risk. Nonetheless, some popular-press articles have suggested that evidence supporting this relationship is weak and inconsistent. In addition, widely circulated news reports of a cardiac arrest suffered by the late diet-book author Robert Atkins have suggested that neither diet nor arteriosclerosis played any role in the unfortunate event. The net result of such reporting may be to suggest that individuals may disregard well-established contributors to heart disease.

3. "Meat doesn't boost insulin; only carbohydrates do that, and that's why they make people fat."
Popular books and news stories have encouraged individuals to avoid carbohydrate-rich foods, suggesting that high-protein foods will not stimulate insulin release. However, contrary to this popular myth, proteins stimulate insulin release, just as carbohydrates do. Clinical studies indicate that beef and cheese cause a bigger insulin release than pasta, and fish produces a bigger insulin release than popcorn.15
Also, it is important to realize that different carbohydrate-rich foods have very different effects. Most cause a gradual, temporary, and safe rise in blood sugar after meals. Beans, green leafy vegetables, and most fruits are in this healthful category. The main exceptions are large baking potatoes, white bread, and sugary foods, which can cause an overly rapid rise in blood sugar.

4. "People who eat the most carbohydrates tend to gain the most weight."
Popular diet books point out that a carbohydrate restriction may induce ketosis as well as a reduction in energy intake, resulting in temporary weight loss. This has been misinterpreted as suggesting that carbohydrate-rich foods are the cause of obesity. In epidemiological studies and clinical trials, the reverse has been shown to be true. Many people throughout Asia consume large amounts of carbohydrate in the form of rice, noodles, and vegetables and generally have lower body weights than Americans—including Asian Americans—who eat large amounts of meat, dairy products, and fried foods. Similarly, vegetarians, who generally follow diets rich in carbohydrates, typically have significantly lower body weights than omnivores.

5. "There Is One Best Way to Exercise".
This is not true. In fact, not only is there not one best way for everyone to exercise, but there's not one best way for each person. You have to incorporate different exercises and routines into your fitness strategy to reach your goals, which should be individualized for you. The exercises you choose should be tailored to what you like to do and then optimized for fitness and to avoid injury.

6. "More Sweat, Less Fat". This is false, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. The amount you sweat is indicative of your body's ability to maintain its normal body temperature. You sweat when your body starts to store heat so you can experience cooling via evaporation of that sweat. So it doesn't correlate to how much energy, or calories, is being expended.

7. "Drinking Water Causes Cramps". Cramps are actually a symptom of dehydration, so this is an old wives tale. Basically, drinking water will help ensure you are properly hydrated, which will ultimately reduce your risk of sustaining or experience cramps."

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You can read my article "Plan your Diet and Weight loss"

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