Beware of “fast” New Year’s diets as they can harm your health, experts warn.
The British Dietetic Association (BDA) has published a list of “red flags” to look out for when it comes to dieting for a new year and a new you.
Dieticians warn people to avoid diets with the word “detox,” telling people to only eat one type of food like cabbage, or rapid weight loss of more than two pounds (1 kg) of body fat per week promise.
Diets that promote the fat-burning effects of certain foods, such as grapefruit and green tea, are being warned against.
The British Dietetic Association (BDA) has published a list of “red flags” to look out for when it comes to dieting for a new year and a new you. Dieticians warn people to avoid diets with the word “detox,” telling people to only eat one type of food like cabbage, or rapid weight loss of more than two pounds (1 kg) of body fat per week promise
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grain, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 servings of varied fruit and vegetables daily. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables count
• Base meals based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This equates to eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole wheat biscuits, 2 thick slices of whole wheat bread, and 1 large baked potato with its skin on
• Have some dairy products or dairy alternatives (like soy drinks) and choose lower-fat, lower-sugar options
• Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish per week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume them in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water daily
• Adults should consume less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men per day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
It can also be a red flag when a diet requires replacing everyday foods with expensive supplements or ingredients.
BDA is urging the public to say “no thanks” to the New Year’s diet fad as brands use this time of year to “ambush potential customers”.
Anything that claims to offer a quick weight-loss solution could end up doing more harm than good, the organization warns.
Marcela Fiuza, registered nutritionist and spokesperson for the BDA, said: “For many people, the new year is a good opportunity to set goals and intentions, including to improve health.
“However, New Year’s resolutions that focus on weight loss as the primary outcome can often result in yo-yo dieting or weight cycles, which can be detrimental to health.
“New Year’s diets can also be triggers for people with eating disorders and lead to eating disorders.”
When a diet offers a “magic bullet” for losing weight without requiring you to make any lifestyle changes, it’s probably too good to be true.
Diets should also be avoided if, according to BDA advice, they offer no evidence of how well they work, apart from a few people’s success stories.
People should also be wary of diet plans that ask them to severely restrict entire food groups, or diets that an “influencer” like a celebrity or social media star is paid to promote.
Dietitians have had to warn people about diets this year, including the water diet and the boiled-egg diet.
In the New Year, New You message, Registered Dietitian and BDA member Nichola Ludlam-Raine said: “Psychologically, it can really hurt people’s self-esteem when they make them think they’re not good enough, like they are are.”
She added: “The healthiest, most sustainable approach is small and slow – the opposite of what fad diets promise.
“A nutritionist can help someone look at their long-term goals and highlight the positive impact on their overall health, not just their weight.”
Kaitlin Colucci, another BDA member and registered dietitian, said: “Fad diets promise quick fixes, they require little time, little thought and some investment that promise big results.
“They can be problematic because they don’t lead to sustainable long-term change and can develop into unhealthy and dysfunctional relationships with food.”
The BDA, which represents more than 10,500 dietitians across the UK, works with the Standards Authority (ASA) to report ads that contain false and misleading information about diets.
Miles Lockwood, Director of Complaints and Investigations at the ASA, said: “All claims should be backed up by solid evidence, not just ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos, and ads should not claim that people can lose an irresponsible amount of weight or fat.’
Fad diets can deplete key nutrients or alter metabolism so that they actually lead to weight gain over the long term.
In general, a healthy diet reduces highly processed foods and increases the intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.