1) Fad diets promise fast weight loss but are often not nutritionally complete, difficult to maintain long-term, and may negatively impact social life or mental health. 2) While fad diets can cause quick water weight loss, the weight is often regained once normal eating resumes. Additionally, very low-calorie diets can have serious health risks like dehydration, muscle loss, and electrolyte imbalances. 3) Sustainable weight loss and disease prevention are better achieved through balanced nutrition and active lifestyle, rather than restrictive fad diets that are difficult to maintain long-term.

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Kristin Gunderson
Dr. McClure
CA 101
16 October 2015
Diet Fads Persuasive Essay
Dieting appears to be a hot topic throughout history, dating back to Hippocrates who
stated that one must "let food be your medicine and medicine be your food" (Trivedi 42). He
believed food and exercise to be the source of overall health; however, his idea has been
manipulated through years of scientific research. A diet is defined as "the amount and kind of
food and drink that a person takes in a day. It also refers to food selections planned to meet
specific requirements of the individual, by including or excluding certain foods" (Loue and
Sajatovic). Many individuals are confused by the conflicting diet-focused research. As Trivedi
says, there is an "endless flip-flopping over particular foods and nutrients- carbs, fats, eggs, nuts-
and it's no wonder we're all finding it so hard what to eat" (42). There is a never ending curiosity
regarding the food one eats and the impact it may have on an individual's health. Americans are
constantly trying to lose weight, which leads to fad diet trends growing in society. A fad diet can
be defined as a plan which "promises that you will lose weight fast or at an unrealistic pace... is
based on a single study... refers to foods as 'good' or 'bad'... use personal testimonies to 'sell' the
diet... involves crash dieting, or very intense reductions in eating or drinking" (Vann). Diets offer
quick yet unsustainable weight loss and may have negative impacts on overall long-term health.
Fad diets are not a valid solution as they are not sustainable for most lifestyles, beneficial for
long-term health and there are more effective solutions to gain overall wellness in one's life.

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Fad dieting is not a sustainable lifestyle long-term as it is high cost, requires ample
amounts of effort and negatively impacts social activities. "Most diets cost money, whether it is
paying to join a program like Weight Watchers, buying products from a brand such as Slim Fast,
or simply buying particular foods like on the Atkins Diet" ("Cost of Diets"). On average per
week, a diet may cost up to $140. This is significantly greater than the average amount spent on
groceries by those not on a strict diet which totals approximately $55 a week ("Cost of Diets"). A
year on a non-diet program totals about $2,860 while a strict diet regimen may cost up to $7,280.
Most American's need to budget for housing, clothing and social events which draw money away
from costly food purchases. High dieting costs are not sustainable for all Americans long-term as
the money can quickly run low, which causes one to quit a diet shortly after starting.
The effort required to follow a strict diet plan takes a lot of time and energy away from
other aspects of one's life. For diets such as Paleo, products containing wheat can not be
consumed. Thus, one must come up with alternate sources of energy to replace these
carbohydrates in order to properly fuel their body. Diets such as the raw food plan follow the rule
that "foods can't be heated above 118 degrees" ("Raw Food"). This stems from the belief that
heating food causes decreased nutrient absorption. Although, there is no scientific evidence to
support this belief. Following a fully raw food diet is challenging as it requires one to stock up
on fresh fruit and vegetable, raw nuts and legumes, while avoiding any processed or cooked
items. Keeping fresh produce is complicated as it requires several trips to the grocery store for
optimum quality foods.
Strict diet plans also impact social life as one may avoid restaurants, parties or special
outings where food is served. One may not be able to follow a perfect gluten free or raw food
plan unless they are willing to sacrifice their social life for the sake of a diet. People will turn

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down spending time with friends because food in their diet is not offered which causes isolating
behaviors and may produce a food obsession.
When an individual fail to follow the diet 100%, it may cause psychological issues such
as depression and decreased self-satisfaction. It is proven that "decreased self-esteem and self-
confidence [have] been associated with chronic dieting" and "the desire for thinness has been
associated with a high prevalence of eating disorders" (Carlson). Eating disorders are the top
cause of death among all mental disorders, with a prevalence of 10% death in those diagnosed
("Eating Disorders"). Eating disorders affect mostly women yet also influence men in
detrimental ways. Dieting tears down an individual's confidence and leads to unmaintainable and
unrealistic standards for long-term wellness.
Fad dieting claims to aid in disease prevention and weight loss. Many doctors promote
the idea that one macronutrient or another many lower the risk for disease. For example, Dr.
Mercola's 5:2 fasting regimen claims to have many health benefits such as "working to normalize
insulin levels, decreasing leptin sensitivity, boosting mitochondrial efficiency, normalizing
ghrelin levels, lowering triglycerides and reducing oxidative stress". Mercola claims these bodily
changes are "an important part in slowing the aging process" and also "protect your brain from
changes associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease... intermittent fasting has also been
identified as a potent ally for the prevention and perhaps even treatment of dementia" (Mercola).
In essence, Mercola is saying that one will be healthier by following his diet regimen, yet uses
scientific wording to confuse readers and persuade them of his authoritative status. Most
American's do not understand the facts behind dieting claims, however choose to follow it
because of the professional language used. The claims by doctors, such as Mercola, are
contradicted in Trivedi's article as he provides scientific evidence that "out of 140 possible links

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between diet and [disease] only 10 [experiments] had enough evidence behind them to be
deemed convincing" (44). Thus, Mercola's claim may not be correct in assuming his dietary fad
is able to impact disease as there is no science-based evidence presented to support his claim.
In fact, fad dieting may cause disease as they are commonly deficient in several
necessary vitamins and minerals. For example: a vegan diet tends to lack vitamin B12,
riboflavin, calcium and iodine (Loue and Sajatovic); paleo diets lack B vitamins (specifically
thiamine, folate, niacin and riboflavin), calcium and protein ("Paleo Diets"); and raw food diets
have several associated nutrient deficiencies such as low protein intake, minimal energy intake,
deficient vitamin B12, iron, vitamin D, calcium and zinc ("Raw Food"). These deficiencies
overtime may cause osteoporosis, cancer and anemia if not supplemented properly under a
doctor’s consent. Current research provides evidence that "diets that contain whole grains and
legumes actually reduce risk of developing cardiovascular disease" and that, "diabetes is caused
by a combination of genetics risk and overall weight or obesity- not by eating carbohydrates"
("Paleo Diet"). These facts contradict the paleo guidelines of avoiding wheat. It is also known
that "osteoporosis is strongly linked to calcium deficiency" which provides evidence that a dairy
free diet, such as a vegan or paleo plans, may be detrimental to bone health ("Paleo Diet"). As for
short term effects on the body, a fad diet is known to cause "muscle cramps, dizziness,
confusion, fainting, dehydration, severe constipation or diarrhea, mood changes and constant
hunger" (Vann). These negative effects on the body are not often discussed in the promotion of a
diet, yet it is important for an individual to understand the long-term negative consequences
along with the short-term positive possibilities.
Fad diets tend to set an individual up for complete failure in the area of weight loss as a
"diet resulting in quick weight loss without meeting your nutritional needs can lead to regaining

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weight rapidly if you revert back to your old eating habits" (Vann). It is proven that a "10 percent
reduction in body weight will reduce the women's risk for chronic disease such as hypertension,
coronary artery disease, diabetes and degenerative arthritis" (Carlson). However, fad diets often
produce a rapid weight loss of more than 10 percent of body weight which lead to negative
bodily impacts. This fact is specifically shown by a low-carbohydrate diet as "people lose weight
and keep it off for a short time" because "glycogen, the body's carbohydrate reserves, is stored
with water... about 3 grams of water is lost for every gram of glycogen that is used" (Loue and
Sajatovic). Thus, when an individual restricts carbohydrates, the body's glycogen stores decrease
causing a loss of water. This can cause dehydration of bodily tissues and may lead to more
serious consequences overtime. One consequence is a condition known as ketosis, where one's
body responds to the low fuel supply (due to lack of glycogen) by breaking down fat reserves
into ketones. Mercola claims that "ketones (not glucose) are actually the preferred fuel for your
brain" (Mercola). However, ketosis "can produce undesirable effects such as nausea, gout,
dehydration, muscle weakness, and kidney failure" (Loue and Sajatovic). These fatal possibilities
are not worth the short term weight loss produced when following a fad diet.
While a fad diet may be useful for short-term weight loss, it is not a healthy solution as
they are not sustainable for most lifestyles, beneficial for long-term health and there are more
effective ways to gain overall wellness in one's life. An individual must consider an eating plan
without nutritional deficiencies, restrictive patterns or obsessive rules which can be maintained
throughout their life. Overall wellness should be found through a balanced diet combined with an
active lifestyle, not by quick, short-term fad diets.