Fad Diets

Do they deliver? And just how healthy are they in the long run?

Dieting is a popular passtime in Australia. Most are doing it safely by cutting down on sweets and high-fat foods. But others are seduced by the appeal of fad diets. These are 'quick-and-easy' diets that promise amazing results. But do they deliver?? And just how healthy are they in the long run.

Here's the skinny on three current fad-diets:

The Zone Diet - Can you have your steak and eat it too?

The Zone Diet pushes protein along with low carbohydrate vegetables, like broccoli, green beans and fruit. Bread, pasta, grains, corn and potatoes are virtually elimated. But the Zone Diet deprived users of fibre, as well as essential vitamins and minerals. Staying on it for a long period of time may increase the risk of heart disease and other serious ailments.

The Atkins Diet

This diet claims that beefing up on protein keeps weight down. Where the Zone Diet restricts daily carbohydrate intake to 40% the Atkins diet takes it down to as little as 15% - a steep drop from the US RDA of 60%. Dieters love the Atkins diet because they can eat meat and shed kilos quickly at the start. But the weight decline is mostly due to water loss, and drastically reducing carbohydrates forces the body to burn fatty acids for fuel, causing headaches, dizziness and fatigue. Too much protein and saturdated fat can put stress on the heart and kidneys.

Sugar Busters

This diet blames weight gain in sugars and carbohydrates, suggesting they raise blood-sugar levels and make the body release fat-producing insulin. But there's no science behind these claims. Meanwhile, the sugar busters diet is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, and low in fibre and essential nutrients. You may lose weight, but that's due to decreased calories, not reduced carbohydrates.

The bottom line is that you should consult your health care professional before you try any diet. And beware, any plan that elimates a food group, encourages indulging in a particular food group and requires drastic calorie cutting probably isn't healthy in the long run.

For healthy, long-term weight loss, health professionals suggest the following:

Trim the fat

Restrict your fat intake to less that 30% of daily calories. Fat provides more than twice the calories per gram than carbohydrtes or protein, so following recommended guidelines may make it easier to lose kilos and maintain a healthy weight.

Eat smart

Spend your calories on complex carbohydrates like vegetables, grains, cereals and breads. Don't waste them on simple carbohydrates like cake, lollies or soft drinks. Complex carbohydrates not only provide the most vitamins and minerals, they're also filling. That means you eat less and get more nutritional value.

Get moving

The benefits of physical activity go beyond weight loss. Studies show that exercise makes you feel good, raises your energy level, reduces your risk of heart disease and helps you lead a longer, healthier life.

Rise and dine

Eating a healthy breakfast helps speed your metabolism and enables you to burn more calories all day long.

Graze

Frequent snacking makes you less likely to eat a large, heavy meal. Keep healthy foods - like apples, oranges, bananas, carrot sticks, yoghurt and granola on hand.