Health Matters: Fad diets

Celery juice. Cabbage soup. Grapefruit. Lemon juice and cayenne. Weight loss tea. If you look up how to lose weight online, you’re guaranteed to come across people claiming they’ve got a miracle that will help you shed those pounds fast. But often these diets are neither effective nor healthy, said University of Alabama Student Health Center Dietician Cherie Simpson.

“The challenge with fad diets is they are usually not based behind science,” Simpson said. “It’s usually something that’s trendy.”

Somebody, usually a celebrity or someone without a nutritional background, comes up with a concept that catches on. Typically, these diets are adjusting one of the main macronutrients, Simpson said.

“You have carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and they just alter those, but when you sit down and dissect (these diets), what they are doing is you are getting an overall calorie reduction,” she said.

That’s where the weight loss comes in.

Watch the full interview below:

For all your primary health care needs, visit University Medical Center, with locations in Tuscaloosa, Northport, Demopolis, Fayette, Carrollton and Livingston.