Five reasons to avoid fad diets

Many weight loss diets promise to help you lose weight quickly. Often these diets only focus on short-term results, so you eventually end up putting the weight back on we concentrate on a slow steady weight loss using our healthy eating program

Here are five reasons why following the latest novelty diet may not be a good way to lose weight.

1. Some diets can make you ill

Many diets, especially crash diets, are geared to dramatically reducing the number of calories you consume. Crash diets make you feel very unwell and unable to function properly, because they are nutritionally unbalanced, crash diets can lead to long-term poor health

2. Excluding foods is dangerous

Some diets recommend cutting out certain foods, such as meat, fish, wheat or dairy products. Cutting out certain food groups altogether could prevent you getting the important nutrients and vitamins your body needs to function properly.

You can lose weight without cutting out foods from your diet. Balance is the key

3. Low-Carb diets can be high in fat

Some diets, such as the Atkins diet, are very low in carbohydrates (for example, pasta, bread and rice), which are an important source of energy. While you may lose weight on these types of diets, they're often high in protein and saturated fat, which can make you ill. Low-carbohydrate diets can also cause side effects such as bad breath, headaches and constipation. Instead of low Carb think - Right Carbs- with low Gi and wholegrain bread and cereals

4. Detox diets don't work

Detox diets are based on the idea that toxins build up in the body and can be removed by eating, or not eating, certain things. However, there's no evidence that toxins build up in our bodies. If they did, we would feel very ill.

Detox diets may lead to weight loss because they involve restricting calories, cutting out certain foods altogether, such as wheat or dairy, and eating a very limited range of foods they are, in effect, a form of modified fasting

5. Cabbage soup, blood group, the 5:2 diet and other fad diets are often far-fetched

Some fad diets are based on eating a single food or meal, such as cabbage soup or raw foods. Others make far-fetched claims, such as encouraging people to cut out certain foods from their diet based on their blood type.

Intermittent fasting, which includes the increasingly popular 5:2 diet, is a pattern of eating where you eat normally five days a week and fast on the other two days. Fans of the 5:2 diet say it can help you live longer and protect you against disease.

Often there is little or no evidence to back up these claims, and it can be difficult to keep to in the long term. If followed over long periods, these diets can be very unbalanced and bad for your health. You may lose weight in the short term, but it's much better to lose weight gradually and to be healthy

How to lose weight the healthy way

The only way to lose weight healthily and keep it off is to make permanent changes to the way you eat and exercise. A few small alterations, such as eating less and choosing drinks that are lower in fat, sugar and alcohol, can help you lose weight. There are also plenty of ways to make physical activity part of your life.

Exercise and weight loss

Regular physical activity will not only help you lose weight, but could also reduce your risk of developing a serious illness.

The amount of physical activity that is recommended depends on your age. Adults aged 19 to 64 who are new to activity should aim to build up to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week.