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Quackery Diets

You can lose 30 lbs. in 15 days and all you have to do is eat artichokes for breakfast, lunch and dinner -- fad diets claim. These "fad" or "quack" diets promise weight loss by encouraging extreme calories cuts and eating only one food for every meal or eliminating an entire food group.

  1. Extraordinary Weight Loss Promises

    • Quack diets often promise huge weight losses that are both unsafe and unrealistic. The first week or two of any new diet exhibits water loss that accounts for faster weight loss during that time frame. After losing water weight, an average weight loss of 1 to 2 lbs. per week is considered healthy. At that rate, dieters could lose about 8 lbs. per month or 96 lbs. per year. Promises of losing 30 lbs. in two weeks is a red flag for a quack diet.

    No Exercise to Lose Weight

    • Healthy weight loss requires eating fewer calories than the body needs to perform normal daily functions, including movement, digestion and organ function. Exercises burn calories faster than rest, so dieters often exercise to increase weight loss. Exercising an average of 30 to 45 minutes per day, or more, is optimal. Quack diets often promise weight loss without 1 minute of exercise.

    Outrageous Eating Plan

    • Eating only one food or eliminating an entire food group to lose weight is one characteristic of a quack diet. Healthy diet menus require foods from all food groups, including fats, grains, fruits, vegetables and meats. A well-rounded diet provides a good source of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Eliminating one or more foods or food groups means eliminating a healthy source of nutrition. Restrictive diets are also difficult to follow for long periods.

    No Eating Plan

    • One of the most common red flags for a quack diet is the promise of weight loss without changing daily eating habits. If a diet promises weight loss while maintaining the same diet that caused weight gain, you probably want to stay away. Weight gain results from eating more calories than the body needs for energy. If the diet plan promotes supplements, read the labels carefully and research ingredients. Some quack diets employ laxatives and diuretics to increase weight loss without making diet and exercise changes.

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