1. 100% Fad Free
Health updates on current
diet trends
Allison
Brewer

2. Presentation Overview
 History of Fad Diets
 Current Fad Diet Overview
 Diet Programs and Systems
◦ Weight Watchers
◦ NutriSystem
 Role of the Dietitian
 Summary
 Food For Thought in Future Practice

3. Learning Objectives
At the end of the presentation, the participants
will be able to:
 Identify popular methods for weight loss,
interpret dietary trends, and develop the skills
to identify fad diets
 Discuss current trends in dietary applications
for weight loss and characteristics of popular
diets
 Evaluate systems and programs developed
for weight loss and determine efficacy
 Understand the role of the Registered
Dietitian in healthy weight loss and dietary
interventions

4. Pop Quiz
 Beverly Hills Diet
 Sleeping Beauty Diet
 Cigarette Diet
 Sacred Heart Diet
 Negative Calorie Diet
 Tapeworm Diet
 Cheater’s Diet
 Baby Food Diet
 Banana Diet
 Blood Type Diet

5. What is a Fad Diet?
 Eating patterns that promote short
term weight loss
 Usually have no concern for weight
maintenance
 Temporary popularity and solution to
what is commonly a chronic condition
 Many lack major nutrients, vitamins
and minerals

6. Identify Fad Diets
 Promise a quick fix.
 Claims that sound too good to be true.
 Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex
study.
 Dramatic statements that are refuted by
reputable scientific organizations.
 Lists of 'good' and 'bad' foods.
 Specialized product used in conjunction for
desired result
 Recommendations based on studies
published without review by other
researchers or that ignore differences among
individuals or groups.
 Eliminating 1 or more of the 5 food groups.

7. Common Fad Diets
“I’m just one stomach flu away from my goal
weight…”

8. Which diet was originally
published in 1825
but is still popular today?
A. Raw Foods Diet
B. Low Carbohydrate Diet
C. Blood Type Diet

9. Atkins Diet Update
 Low carbohydrate diet with intake
based on fiber rich vegetables and
protein
 Research supports: prevention of
CVD, lowers LDL and increases HDL
(although research not consistent)
 Research argues: contributes to
osteoporosis and kidney stones
 Nutritional Concerns: restrict healthful
foods and limit variety

10. Dukan Diet
 Protein based (excluding pork and
lamb)
 Designed by French MD Pierre Dukan
 4 phases with over 100 “allowed”
foods
◦ Attack
◦ Cruise
◦ Consolidation
◦ Stabilization

11. Analysis of Dukan Diet
 Pierre Dukan – French MD with 35
years of experience in clinical nutrition
 Similar to Atkins
 Promises hunger will
disappear by day 3
 Encourages MVI with
minerals

12. Risk Factors with Dukan Diet
 Risk of kidney issues, muscle loss,
issues with electrolyte imbalances
 Restrictive nature - hard to maintain
lifelong
 British Dietetic Association: “Do-can’t
Diet”
 National Agency for Food,
Environmental and Work Health Safety
in France – declared the diet unhealthy

13. Myth or Fact
You should eat each food group
separately for optimal digestion.
MYTH!
You’re digestive system is made to
handle more than one type of food at a
time.

14. HCG Diet
 Human Choriogonadotropin
 Hormone produced by women during
early stages of pregnancy
 HCG hormone surge signals the
hypothalamus to move nutrients and
fat into the placenta
 Low calorie diet & supplemental drops
or injections

15. Fact or Myth
Skipping meals helps cut calories and
isn’t a bad way to help lose weight.
MYTH!
When you skip meals, the natural
tendency is to overeat and
overcompensate later.

16. Paleo Diet
 “The World’s Healthiest Diet”
 Genetic adaptations
 Foods broken down into “do eat” and
“do not eat”
◦ Foods focus on what humans would have
eaten during the Paleolithic era

17. Analysis of the Paleo Diet
 Claims
◦ Permanently free yourself from acne
◦ Improve athletic performance
◦ Slow progression of autoimmune
diseases
◦ Longer, healthier, more active life
◦ Lose weight without dieting or exercise
◦ Reduce or eliminate your risk for disease

18. Analysis of the Paleo Diet
 Benefits
◦ Reducing risk of chronic diseases:
 Risks
◦ Not balanced nutrition
◦ Long term high protein – high saturated
fats
◦ Long-term maintenance difficult

19. Paleo Diet: Behind the
Research
 Type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular
risk
 13 pts – 3 women, 10 men
 One group on Paleo diet for 3 months,
Another on usual diet for 3 months
Paleo Diet Improvements
HgbA1c -0.4%, p = 0.01
Triglycerides -0.4mmol/L, p = 0.003
Diastolic BP -4mmHg, p = 0.03
Weight -3kg, p = 0.01
BMI -1 kg/m2, p = 0.04
Waist Circumference -4cm, p = 0.02

20. Master Cleanse
 2 TB lemon juice, 1 TB maple syrup,
1/10 Tsp cayenne pepper and 2 cups
water
 Drink 6-12 glasses throughout the day
for 10 days
 Laxative therapy morning and evening
 “Help you lose up to 20 pounds, look
younger, ease chronic pain, cleanse
your body of internal waste and boost
your energy levels in 10 days”

21. How Master Cleanse works
 3 phases
◦ Ease In
◦ The Lemonade Diet
◦ Ease Out
 Cleanse Stack
 “Every day of the master cleanse that
you overcome the psychological need
to eat, you feel a growing sense of
control that motivates you to complete
the process”

22. Risks of the Master Cleanse
 Deficient in calories, vitamins,
minerals and macronutrients
 Fear of filling our body with toxins
drives many to these diets
◦ Our bodies naturally rid themselves of
undesirable substances without human
intervention
 Fasting can rob intestines of healthy
bacteria
 Laxative abuse

23. Match the Diet with the correct
description
Helps you overcome
the psychological need
to eat
Paleo Diet
“The Pregnancy
Master Cleanse
Diet”
HCG Diet
“Healthiest diet in the
world!”

24. KE Diet
 Ketogenic Enteral Nutrition
 http://abcnews.go.com/Health/diet-
brides-feeding-tubes-rapidly-shed-
pounds/story?id=16146271#.T58m3N
nAE14

25. Risks of KE Diet
 Sudden weight loss often returns
 Opens up other medically “controlled”
weight loss methods
 Ethical dilemma

26. KE Diet
 A.S.P.E.N. Statement: Using this
medical therapy for weight loss
detracts from the health benefit
achieved by patients that require this
therapy and would much rather eat by
mouth
◦ None of the 5,500 physicians, dietitians
and other professionals in A.S.P.E.N.
would support this action

27. Weight Loss Programs

28.  28 day delivered meal
program
 Catered to your meal
preferences
 Consider portion sizes
while reducing fat and caloric intake
 Glycemic Index
 1200 – 1500 calories for women, 1500
– 1800 calories for men
 Offers money back guarantee

29. NutriSystem - Pros
 With exercise, can lose 1-2#/week
 Ease
 Focuses on low fat, whole grains, fruits
and vegetables
 Allows for pre-established meal patterns
with snacks and dessert
 No calorie counting
 Pre-portioned meals
 Social support, nutrition education and
exercise tips available online

30. NutriSystem - Cons
 Preservatives in meals
 Pre-packaged meals can lack color
and variety
 Expensive
 Counseling education not from health
professional/RD but “Qualified
Counselors”

31. NutriSystem – Behind the
Research
 Obese individuals with T2DM
 Studied commercial weight loss
programs and glycemic control
 69 patients (49 females, 20 males)
◦ Mean age: 52 years, BMI 39, HcgA1C:
7.5%
 Random assignment to NutriSystem –
D or Diabetes Support and Education
program
 3 months – Support group also on
NutriSystem D

32. Research Results
 At 3 months – 7.1% weight loss from
NutriSystem group, 0.4% weight loss
from Support Group, P<0.0001,
statistically significant; NutriSystem
HgbA1C reduction 0.88% vs 0.03% in
Support Group
 Show obese patients with
improvements in weight and glycemic
control can benefit from commercial
weight management programs

33.  Points Plus Program
 Protein and fiber-rich foods get fewer
points to encourage dieters to eat
more filling foods throughout the day
 Unlimited fruit and non-starchy
veggies
 All foods can fit
 Named #1 Best Commercial Diet,
2011

34. Weight Watchers - Pros
 Suits women and men
 Counseling
 Exercise regimen recommendations
 Recipe and meal ideas
 Partnerships
 40 years of experience
 Mobile App

35. Weight Watchers - Cons
 Counting points similar to counting
calories
 Weight Watchers for Men – online only
 Open-ended plan with lots of personal
control
 Not a strong emphasis on fitness
 Points system based solely on
calories, total fat and dietary fiber

36. Weight Watchers – Behind the
Research
 Random assignment to either WW
group or Self-help group
◦ 48 in WW group, 40 in Self-help
◦ Means BMI = 33.7 kg/m2
◦ 85% women
◦ 2 year duration

37. Weight Watchers Research
Results
 Maximum weight loss
◦ 5.3 # at 26 weeks in WW group
◦ 1.5# at 26 weeks in Self-Help group
 Maintenance in 2 years
◦ 3.2# in WW
◦ 0# in Self Help

38. How do I use this
information?

39. 7 Steps to Successful Weight
Loss
1. Low-calorie, low-fat diet
•To lose weight, one must create an energy
deficit
•Maintain consistency with weight loss program
2. Eat a consistent diet from day to day.
• Encourage self-control, minimize unplanned
food temptations, foster self-discipline, and
increase one’s ability to persevere with the diet
3. Eat breakfast
• Suppresses midmorning hunger
• Produces better blood glucose control

40. 4. Incorporate physical activity
5. Check body weight frequently
•Form of accountability and
self-monitoring
6. Limit TV viewing time
7. Take corrective action when weight is regained
• Many formal weight loss programs report that
dieters frequently regain weight 3-5 years after they
achieve their goal weight loss

41. Role of the RD

42. Role of the RD
 Systemic review of 31 long term diet
studies
◦ 2/3 of dieters regained more weight within
4-5 years after the program than they
initially lost
 Kelly Brownell, MD
◦ Director of Rudd Center for Food Policy
and Obesity at Yale University
◦ Dieting is perceived as a threat to survival
 Immune function and decreased NK
cell activity

43. Role of the RD

44. Role of the RD
 Never learned skills for behavior
change
 200 overweight and obese individuals
◦ Group 1 – weight loss program with one
hour counseling
◦ Group 2 – weight loss program with one
hour exercise (low intensity)
 Results – Group one maintained
weight after 3 year follow-up

45. Conclusion
 Fad diets are eating patterns that
promote short term weight loss
 When a weight loss program sounds
too good to be true, it probably is
 Effective weight loss programs can be
used as primary education
 RD can help process lifestyle changes
and goals to making desired changes

46. Food For Thought
 Are we already crossing the line of
what is ethical when medical
professionals recommend or endorse
potentially dangerous programs?
 How far will society go to make losing
weight easier?

47. References
 1. Lowe MR, Miller-Kovach K, Frye N, Phelan S. An initial evaluation of a
commercial weight loss program: short-term effects on weight, eating behavior and
mood. Obesity Research 1999; 7 (1): 51-59.
 2. American Council on Exercise – Weight Management. Available at
www.acefitness.org
 3. Fletcher, D. Fad Diets. Time Magazine: Health. 15 Dec 2009. Accessed April
27, 2012. Available at
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1950931,00.html
 4. Gilden Tsai A, Wadden TA. Systematic Review: An evaluation of major
commerciation weight loss programs in the United States. Annals of Internal Medicine.
2005; 142 (1): 56-66.
 5. WebMD – Women’s Health Weight Loss: Spotting Fad Diets. Available at
http://women.webmd.com/fad-diets
 6. Eat right for your type. Available at dadamo.com
 7. WebMD – The Dukan Diet Review. Available at
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/dukan-diet-review?page=2

48. References
 8. US News Health: Can the Dukan Diet do it? April 5, 2011. Available at
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diet/articles/2011/04/05/can-the-dukan-diet-do-it
 9. The Dukan Diet. Available at Dietsinreview.com
 10. HCG Diet. Available at Dietsinreview.com
 11. WebMD – The Lemonade Diet (Master Cleanse Diet). Available at
http://dadamo.com/http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-lemonade-diet-master-cleanse-
diet?page=2
 12. Weight Watchers. Available at Dietsinreview.com
 13. FoxNews – Cleansing diet may be worthless, dangerous. Available at
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,214802,00.html
 14. Discovery Fit and Health – NutriSystem Diet: What you need to know. Available at
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/diets/nutrisystem4.htm
 15. Discovery Fit and Health – Paleo Diet: What you need to know. Available at
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/diets/paleo-diet2.htm

49. Questions?