As the new year approaches, many people set their sights on health goals and weight loss resolutions. With the flood of trendy fad diets promising quick results, it’s easy to be tempted by their flashy claims and celebrity endorsements. However, these diets often come with hidden risks, from nutritional deficiencies to unsustainable habits that can harm your body in the long run. Before jumping into the latest diet craze, it’s essential to understand the potential dangers and focus on making informed, healthy choices.
Social media has been criticized for driving eating disorders by promoting unrealistic beauty standards, distorting perceptions of the ideal body, and encouraging fixation on others' achievements. Besides comparison and unrealistic expectations, poor diet advice from influencers and online creators also raises alarms in the nutrition field due to its lack of scientific backing. Research reveals that more than half of Millennial and Gen-Z TikTok users are swayed by diet and nutrition trends on the app, despite only 2% of its nutrition-related content being accurate. Fad diets often omit certain foods or entire food groups from its menu, guaranteeing fast and significant weight loss. Some examples include the carnivore diet, oatzempic diet, dry scooping and Liu YiFei diet.
The ‘oatzempic’ diet involves blending oats with water and lime juice. Oats' soluble fibre, known as beta-glucan, slows down digestion and can help you feel full longer. Although the ingredients are healthy, influencers promoting oatzempic as a diet encourage individuals to fast or significantly restrict their food intake after consuming the drink. Drastically cutting calories can also cause extreme hunger and low energy levels. This unsustainable method will likely bring you back to square one, as it fails to establish lasting healthy habits.
Another fad diet trend on social media is ‘dry scooping’ which involves swallowing a scoop of dry powdered pre-workout supplement mix rather than adding it to liquid. The aim is to gain concentrated energy before exercising to work out longer and harder. However, dry scooping poses significant health risks, such as choking, breathing difficulties, and even heart attacks due to the high caffeine content.
Lastly, “Liu Yifei diet”, named after a Chinese actress, gained popularity on social media as it reportedly helped her lose 6.5 kg in five days. As part of her diet, she limits her food intake for five days each month. On the first day, she consumes only eggs. The second day is dedicated to a full-liquid diet. Over the next three days, she eats only meat on one day, vegetables on another, and fruits on the last day. The danger of this diet lies in the low-carb aspect, which can cause dizziness and difficulty concentrating, particularly for those accustomed to a carbohydrate-rich diet. It also carries significant risks, especially for individuals with digestive, liver, or kidney issues, as well as those with diabetes.
Healthy weight loss involves a lifestyle with healthy eating patterns, regular physical activity, and stress management. According to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention guide, individuals who lose weight gradually and steadily, around 1 kg per week, are more likely to maintain their weight loss compared to those who lose weight rapidly.
Some tips for healthy weight management:
- Eliminate liquid calories
Hundreds of calories are hidden in sugar-sweetened soda, tea, juice, or alcohol.
- Cutting down sauces
Sauces like fish oil, oyster sauce, and kecap manis are packed with sodium and sugar. Excessive amounts hinder weight management and increase the risk of hypertension and diabetes.
- Increase fibre intake
Fibre requires more chewing and fills your stomach, stimulating receptors that signal the brain that you are full.
- Engage in regular physical activity and exercise
If the thought of a full workout seems intimidating to someone new, begin by taking the stairs, playing outdoor games, parking farther away or stopping one stop earlier to walk.
Ask your healthcare provider for resources to support a healthy weight if you have a chronic condition.
While trendy diets may offer quick fixes, they often come with serious risks and fail to deliver lasting results. Sustainable weight management focuses on balance, moderation, and informed choices. By prioritizing gradual, healthy changes to your lifestyle, you can achieve your goals while supporting your overall well-being for years to come.
References
https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/losing-weight/index.html
https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/eat-more-and-lose-weight