Sounds like a fad, looks like a fad …

Staying fit, by Anya Petersen-Frey

Every year, especially as "bathing suit" season approaches, a variety of potentially unhealthy, nutritionally unbalanced fad diets begin to circulate. The diets promise one thing -- fast weight loss. Fad diets often make false promises and can be unsafe. Another major flaw of fad diets is that they often do not encourage physical activity -- for example walking 30 minutes most days of the week. This minimal exercise is helpful for maintaining weight loss over a long period. Basically, if a diet sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Most of us have heard stories of fad diets -- the cabbage soup diet, food combining, the grapefruit diet, and more, not to mention the plethora of diet pills and their accompanying diets. In addition, many fad diets are based on "food folklore," some dating back to the early 19th century. A diet high in protein, for example, is also usually higher in fat and could have serious health risks -- like raising cholesterol levels -- if followed for a long time. Weight loss and improved physical fitness are terrific goals but the key is a long-term change -- not a 'fad' diet. A healthful diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables in combination with regular physical activity can help most people manage and maintain weight loss for both cardiovascular health and appearance.

The American Heart Association offers the following as a way to recognize a potential fad diet:

Magic or miracle foods that burn fat. Foods don't burn fat -- they create fat when we eat more than we need. Fat is your body's way of storing extra food energy. Your body converts extra calories -- units of food energy -- from food into fat when you take in more calories than your body needs to burn.

To lose weight, you must use more energy (burn calories) than you consume (calories eaten), forcing your body to use some of its surplus. Excess fat can be burned by increasing your physical activities or by decreasing the amount of food you eat. It is also not possible to turn fat into muscle. You can gain muscle and lose fat -- but fat does not become muscle.

Bizarre quantities of only one food or type of food, such as eating only tomatoes or beef one day or unlimited bowls of cabbage soup or grapefruit. While these foods should be part of an overall healthy diet eating large quantities of them could lead to unpleasant side effects such as intestinal gas, bloating, flatulence and bad breath. Eating just one type of food can also lead to nutritional imbalances that could have a serious impact on your health.

Very rigid menus. Many diets set out a very limited selection of foods to be eaten at a specific time and day, exactly as written. These restrictions can be difficult to follow and are not a realistic lifestyle.

Specific food combinations. Although some foods taste good together, like the classic "soup and sandwich," there is no scientific evidence that eating foods in certain sequences or combinations has any scientific or medical benefit.

Claims of rapid weight loss of more than two pounds a week.

No warning for people with either diabetes or high blood pressure to seek advice from the physician or health care provider. Some fad diets could raise blood pressure or blood glucose, even if you lose weight. Diets high in fat, which are often those that overemphasize protein, can lead to heart disease and cancer. In addition, high-protein diets can affect kidney or liver function in people with moderately advanced liver or kidney disease.

Claims that no physical activity is needed. No physical activity. Simple physical activities, like walking or riding a bike, are one of the most important tools to losing and maintaining weight loss. Yet many fad diets don't emphasize these easy changes. Any increase in physical activity will help you burn more calories.

If losing weight for "bathing suit" season is your goal, follow a sensible, life-long eating plan that includes physical activity, modified calories and a weight loss of one to two pounds per week. It may take a little longer to reach your goal then with a fad diet but it may be the last 'diet' you have to follow.

Anya Petersen-Frey is a local fitness instructor.