Health Sciences - Fad Diets - Research Paper Example

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Fad Diet Fad Diet Social acceptance rather than scientific backing has sustained use of specific diets as strategies of cutting weight. Overweight is one of the issue that has caused a significant number of problems in society, and many people are doing all they can to reduce their weight. The use of the term 'diet’ refers to a restricted meal doctors often prescribe for medical reasons. However, the term fad diet has evolved over time to mean the use of a diet that promotes rapid loss of weight (O'Dea, 2003). The history of fad diet dates back to around 1087 when William Conqueror who stayed in bed for a long time while taking alcohol alone (Grimes, 2004). Since then, people have developed many fad diets with several of them losing popular among users, and other new ones taking their places. Today, the fad diet is fetching a lot of money for businesses in the United States with many American believing that they help to cut weight. Whereas Fad diet remains popular among Americans, it remains controversial, associated with health complications, as well as increased financial spending on weight loss. Dieting history indicates that this practice has attracted many people who often believe that they can lose weight by taking fad diet of their choice. Over decades, the American people have come to believe that fad diets are the most effective ways of cutting on weight loss. The history of fad diet in American explains why many people prefer using it to reduce their weight. Fad diet earned massive acceptance among the American during the 19th century. During this period, clergymen such as Sylivester Graham praised the use of caffeine-free drinks accompanied by the vegetarian cuisine as an effective cure of obesity, as well as masturbation (Fletcher, 2009). Today, many firms sell fad diets in the United States because of the high demand of weight loss alternative. Indeed, the number of obese persons in the United States serves as an explanation as to why many Americans are obsessed with fad diet. Compared to other nations, Americans lead in the consumption of fad diet. Fad diets have never been without controversy regarding their effective in combating weight. Over decades, many firms have produced fad diet hoping to sell them, only for them to generate controversy over time. One of the controversial fad diets is the Atkins diet, which people know for its carbohydrate-restricting rules. Dr. Atkins developed this diet allowing users to take a diet rich in protein while having no carbohydrate at all. The diet seemed to work for many people, but others reported to have negative side effects. For instance, the Atkins diet seemed to promote consumption of many saturated fats not to mention causing bad breath and reducing intake of essential nutrients. Another controversial fad diet is the cabbage soup that many people believed to reduce weight. Instead, the cabbage soups reduce water in the human body causing its users to grow weak and experience dehydration. The controversy surrounding these fad diets stems from their effectiveness that users cannot sustain. Obesity is still prevalent in many states as a high number of people are still overweight. Despite the variation in the prevalence of obesity among different states in the United States, American still remain as the most affected people. In some of American states such as South Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma have more than 30% of people who are obese. This is an appalling percentage of people given that obesity has many negatives consequences associated with them (Wexler, 2009). Recent statistics reveal that obesity is likely to increase in the coming years with United States hitting about 60% obesity levels by the year 2010. Indeed, this worrying trend that researcher explains using some number of push factors that promote obesity among the American people. First, overconsumption of food rich in calories remains one of the significant causes of obesity. In America, the rising popularity of fast food store and soft drinks have worked together to increase the number of obese persons. Consumption of refined food is another reason why obesity is increasing in America. Refined food and trans-fats cause many digestive complications that predispose people to increased weight because of excessive fat being stored in body tissues. Apart from the two reasons, Americans are spending less energy by engaging in lees demanding activities. Research indicates that much American lack physical activity necessary in burning excess energy that can lead to obesity (Dehpahlavan, 2004). With few schoolchildren taking part in school activities, obesity is still on the rise than before. Many of these factors have worked together to increase the number of obese persons in the United States, and this number researchers expect the number to rise. Consumption of fad diet has a strong correlation with the occurrence of several health complications (Pagan, 2007). First, users of fad diet are likely to develop obesity because of the false assurance that fad diet will help reduce weight within a short time. Today, many people look for means of cutting weight and fad diet seems to be short-term solutions for many people. However, the number of obese persona can increase significantly especially when people end up trusting that fad diets will help them cut on their weight. The false effectiveness of fad diet as a solution to increased weight can fuel obesity levels. Apart from the risk of increasing the number of obese persons, fad diet can lead to many health risks in individuals using them. For instance, users of fad diet can end up reducing their intake of specific nutrients that are critical for essential health. Because of this, most of them may develop poor health or experience negative effects that will reduce their health and wellness. The fact that many fad diets make individuals to lose muscles or water rather than weight makes fad diet to be more dangerous to the heath of its consumers. In some cases, research points that, fad diet can cause nausea, bad breath, and high blood pressure. Fad diet can also cause eating disorders among people especially teenagers. Many people who prefer using fad diet engage in unhealthy eating plans that can affect how well they response to various meals. With magazine and televisions full of unrealistic food and eating styles, many people who choose fad diet end up being disappointed. Because of the unrealistic and restrictive consumption of fad diet, people who prefer fad meals are likely to develop poorer appetite for healthy foods. Because of this impact, eating disorders are likely to affect people who prefer to use fad diet of their choice. The financial impact of fad diet cannot be underestimated. First, obesity is one of the leading causes of increased spending as obese persons attempt to reduce on their weight. Obese persons have a lot of cost to meet especially with regard to meeting the healthcare. Compared to non-obese persons, obese people are more likely to develop medical complications such as high blood pressure or an injury resulting from falls. Because of this, obese persons will end up using more funds to treat themselves and cater for the medical complications. With fad diet likely to increase the number of obese persons, the overall cost of covering health requirement of obese persons is set to increase. In addition, obese persons are likely to spend more money in buying fad diet in an attempt to cut on their weight. With firms developing new and expensive fad diets for consumption, it is likely that obese persons are likely to spend more money on obese fad diet further increasing the cost of being obese. In summary, fad diets are more harmful than they appear. Whereas some people believe them to work, there are enough evidence that they effectiveness is short-lived. Nonetheless, fad diets have generated controversy since they their inception. With the use of fad diets, individuals have ended up with more complications such as increased obesity, and some developing myriads of eating disorder. Most important, the obesity levels have translated to more costs as individuals attempt to cover for their health bills and other related cost. References Grimes, W. (2004). Eating your words. New York: Oxford Press University. Dehpahlavan, J. (2004). Fad Diets Analyzed . Today's Chiropractic March 33(2):53-57.Retrieved from: Alt HealthWatch. O'Dea, J. (2003).Fad Weight Loss Diets . Nutridate, 14(1):1. Retrieved from Health Source - Consumer Edition, Ipswich, MA. Pagan, C. (2007). 4 Things You Can Learn From Fad Diets. Shape; 26(5):104-105. Retrieved from SPORTDiscus. Wexler, B. (2009). Weight in America: Obesity, eating disorders, and other health related risks. Retrieved from http://0-ebooks.ohiolink.edu.olinkserver.franklin.edu/xtf- ebc/view?docId=tei/gale/ipwa/ipwa.xml;chunk.id=ipwa_0908_0001_0_00001.xml;toc.de pth=1;toc.id=;brand=default Fletcher, Danm. (2010, January). Brief History: Fad Diets. Time, 175(1), 18. Retrieved December 4, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1933027631). Read More