List of Risks Posed by Fad Diets

Posted on August 23, 2007

The American Heart Association has provided the following list of possible risks posed by fad diets. Weight loss from fad diets is usually only temporarily and often fad diets don't work at all. They can also have negative health consequences as this list indicates.

Nutritional deficiencies caused by a lack of a balanced diet.
Lack of physical activity from emphasis on diet only can increase the risk of heart disease.
Lack of variety in foods can cause boredom and frustration, and make it difficult to maintain the diet for more than a brief period.
Severe restrictions on the foods you can eat may make it difficult to establish and maintain a healthy diet in the future.
Many quick weight-loss diets are based on unfounded claims that may do more harm than good.

People try fad diets because they want to lose weight fast but that isn't a healthy way to lose weight. The American Heart Association says the right way to diet and lose weight is "slowly, over time, and while eating a balanced diet with plenty of healthy foods." That's not what people desperate to lose weight want to hear but it is better for your heart and overall health if you avoid risky dieting.

HEALTH