With the beginning of the new year, people seem to follow new fads and trends whether it is apparel, language, investments, or a very dangerous fad…diets.
A fad is defined as “any form of behavior that develops among a large population and is collectively followed for a period of time, generally a result of the behavior being perceived as popular by peers or social media” (Wikipedia). A fad diet is considered a diet with a skinny-quick ideal.
Ms. Jamie Bowman, CRHS Intro to Nutrition teacher, recently taught her students about fad diets, including the types, pros and cons.The most common fad diets are Atkins, South Beach Diet, Slimfast, 7-Day Diet and Weight Watchers. According to Ms. Bowman, the 7-Day Diet is the most dangerous fad diet and is not recommended for anybody to try; the least risky fad diet is Weight Watchers.
Fad diets are a big issue in teenagers because they are worried about self image and their weight. Livestrong reports, “Up to 90% of teenagers diet regularly and up to 50% of younger kids have tried to diet at some point.”
Ms. Bowman stated, “I think fad diets are an issue in teenagers because there are so many different types of social media sites and access without scientific backup; they just tell you the benefits of dieting, not the risks. Fad diets can be very dangerous because you are basically starving yourself from the things you need.”
Most fad diets require you to not eat or eat very limited types of food, such as protein, healthy carbs, and nutrients.
“I tried a limited-calorie 10-day diet when I was fifteen years old. I lost about ten pounds but was constantly feeling tired, so I stopped,” says CRHS junior Isabel Mastrangelo.
There are many alternatives to healthy weight loss, such as exercise, a balanced diet, and portion control. Stephen Phenicie, junior football player at CRHS, said, “I have never tried dieting. I just eat healthy and keep a high protein level to keep up with energy I need to not only get through the day but to maintain during workouts and football practice.”
