Fighting the Fad Diet

by Valerie Nahmad — September 8, 2007

Looking for one more excuse not to try the latest, greatest diet? The Cookie Diet, the Cabbage Soup Diet, and other quick-fix fads may sound appealing, but you know they're bad news. Health Day confirms your instinct with its list of fad diet faults:

• Fad diets can cause nutritional deficiencies (cut out an entire food group and your body will miss it)
• A lack of physical activity can increase the risk of heart disease (obsess about a diet and we tend to skip the gym--weight loss is about diet AND exercise)
• A lack of variety in foods can cause boredom and frustration and make it difficult to stick to a diet (ask anyone who's dabbled with Atkins)
• Severe food restrictions can make it difficult to establish and maintain a healthy diet in the future (eat only cabbage soup this week and your body might not metabolize your regular diet as efficiently next week)
• Many quick weight-loss diets are based on unfounded claims (surprise, surprise)

What's the wackiest diet you've ever heard of?