We live in a world with a triple burden; where obesity, malnutrition, and nutrient deficiencies can occur all at the same time. The main reason for this is mainly due to consuming foods high in calories and very low in nutrients essential for the body, which causes excessive weight gain with deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals. So, what are the impacts of obesity on our health, fad diets, and healthy eating?

Obesity: What’s its impact on the individual?

So you may be asking yourself: what’s wrong with having some extra weight? Well, below are some of the risks connected with overweight and obesity:

High blood pressure
Type 2 Diabetes
Cholesterol
Depression
Sleep apnea
Heart diseases

The Healthy Approach to Weight Loss

Weight loss therapy for adults should be based on the following components:

A calorie-controlled balanced diet (ensuring a variety between all food groups).
Having 5 small meals instead of 3 main ones.
Increasing your fiber intake by having more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to help you feel fuller for longer.
Limiting your high fat, high sugar intake to the minimum.
Drinking plenty of water (8-12 cups) to help your body flush toxins out and also increase your satiety levels to avoid overeating.
Regular physical activity (45-60 minutes every day).
Behavior therapy (such as recognizing triggers for eating or learning to identify what holds you back from making lifestyle changes).

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So, What About Fad Diets?

Fad diets often promise intense, and sometimes unrealistic weight loss results. Regardless of they actually working or not; they are very hard to sustain in the long run. Here are some examples of widely known Fad diets with their pros and cons:

The Atkins Diet

Developed by the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins, this diet is a very high-protein one and allows virtually no carbohydrate, particularly during the initial stages.

Pros:

Promotes rapid weight loss.
Focuses on high protein intake, which can help you feel fuller for longer.
Is not as time-consuming and expensive as other diets.

Cons:

Allows high consumption of saturated fats, which may increase the risk of heart diseases.
Offers a short-term solution to weight loss.
Is very restrictive in nature, which may cause you to miss out on essential vitamins and minerals your body needs.

Paleo Diet

The Paleo diet is mainly derived from foods consumed by Stone Age cavemen and people of the Paleolithic age. The main foods allowed in the Paleo diet are fruits, vegetables, roots, and meat, excluding any form of dairy products like milk, cheese, or yogurt as well as processed foods.

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Pros:

Because the diet is totally unprocessed; you may never feel bloated after meals and the risk of having digestive problems is minimal.
With this diet; people are more likely to eat foods that have no additives or preservatives.
Muscle mass may increase due to the diet relying mainly on animal protein, fruits, and vegetables.

Cons:

Calcium deficiency can occur due to the lack of dairy products in this diet.
Not suitable for vegetarians.
Not easy to sustain as a lifestyle habit.

South Beach Diet

As one of the fad diets, it emphasizes eating high-fiber, low-glycemic carbohydrates, unsaturated fats, and lean protein, and categorizes carbohydrates and fats as “good” or “bad”

Pros:

The diet is properly balanced after the initial strict phase.
There is no calorie counting in this diet.
The diet encourages regular meals and snacks.

Cons:

This diet is quite expensive and time-consuming.
The diet can be very demanding to people used to Carbohydrate-rich diets.
Like other high-fat fad diets; it might put the person at risk of heart disease.

What about the VLCD diet?

Very Low Energy Diets (VLED) or alternatively Very Low-Calorie Diets (VLCD) are dietary preparations that provide all nutritional requirements together with less than 800 kcal (<3300 kJ) per day. Very low energy fad diets are also low in carbohydrates which reduces appetite. VLEDs have been shown to be effective in the management of obesity. They have also been associated with improvements in insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, serum triglycerides, sleep apnea, and glycemic control in adults with Type 2 diabetes.

How does VLCD help treat obesity?

Ketosis: your body starts burning fat instead of carbohydrates for energy.
Nutrition: Low-calorie meals that include all the nutrients your body needs.
Schedule: Measures and ready-to-prepare meals that help you eat only when and what you need.
Behavioral change: a customized program that helps you create a healthier lifestyle and include physical activity.

Eventually; whatever of the fad diets you go with to lose weight; make sure it is done the right and healthy way to ensure your body doesn’t miss out on nutrients that help you perform your daily functions, and ultimately have a better quality of life in the long run.

About the Author

Maria Baghdoyan is the Corporate Nutritionist at Nestlé Middle East.