It’s no secret that America is struggling with a weight problem. And this weight problem is a huge issue.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third of Americans are obese. That’s 78.6 million American adults.
Not only is this leading to alarming numbers of Americans suffering from heart disease and diabetes, but it's also costing billions of healthcare dollars. In fact, in 2008, obesity racked up a total bill of $147 billion. To put this in context, that’s more than 32 times the net worth of Donald Trump.
As a result, Americans are looking for diet plans. Some diets, like Weight Watchers and the DASH Diet, are healthy. But others come with concerning health risks.
Here are five diets you should think twice before trying.
Atkins
Despite some bad press and fall from grace, Atkins isn’t all bad in concept. The good thing about the Atkins Diet is that you can eat a lot, and you won’t starve.
That said, Atkins is on this list for a reason. When you follow Atkins, you’re not necessarily eating in a well-rounded way. That’s because Atkins teaches consumers to restrict certain carbs to lose weight. In truth, restricting entire food groups can come with health risks.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “it's…possible that restricting carbohydrates to less than 20 grams a day -- the level recommended for phase 1 of the diet -- can result in ketosis. Ketosis occurs when you don't have enough sugar (glucose) for energy, so your body breaks down stored fat, causing ketones to build up in your body. Side effects from ketosis can include nausea, headache, mental fatigue and bad breath.”
So don’t rule out this plan altogether. But steer clear of Atkins if you have kidney issues.
The Baby Food Diet
Celebrities swear by The Baby Food Diet. In fact, Reese Witherspoon, Lady Gaga and Jennifer Anniston are said to have tried it.
According to Shape magazine, “The diet reportedly involves replacing breakfast and lunch with about 14 jars of baby food (about 25 to 75 calories each), and then eating a sensible dinner.”
The problem is that this diet is nearly impossible to stick with. Really, who wants to eat baby food? There’s a reason it’s made for infants. Pureed mixtures of foods that just don’t go together are anything but satisfying. That’s why we say this diet is a no-go.
The Grapefruit Diet
The Grapefruit Diet has been around for almost a century. Originally designed in 1930 by Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., The Grapefruit Diet promises a dream. That dream is the possibility of dropping up to 10 pounds in 12 days.
The premise of this diet is that if you eat a half a grapefruit before every meal, you will lose weight faster. That’s because advocates of The Grapefruit Diet believe that the enzymes found in grapefruit are the hidden secret to rapid weight loss.
Here’s the thing: This diet has three huge flaws. Number one, who wants to eat a half a grapefruit before every meal?!? Number two, it’s massively calorie restricted, which means you’ll gain the weight right back if you return to old eating habits. And number three, it doesn’t focus on permanent lifestyle changes needed to build healthy eating patterns.
So think twice before trying this radical plan. Do you really want to gain that weight right back? We hope the answer is no.
The Cabbage Soup Diet
Another diet plan promising a quick fix is the Cabbage Soup Diet. In exchange for randomly eating (of all things) cabbage soup for a week, those in the know say you’ll lose up to 10 pounds.
We’ve got two words to describe this diet: no and no. If eating cabbage soup continuously isn’t proof enough, Healthline says that no experts have endorsed this diet plan. Healthline says that the Cabbage Soup Diet “verges on the edge of being a weeklong starvation period.”
Why would you want to starve for a week and eat cabbage soup? Come on now, get real. That’s just absurd. Kick this plan to the curb like a bad habit.
The Master Cleanse
The Master Cleanse is another absurd diet plan promising big results in exchange for a ridiculous lifestyle choice. That choice is to go crazy on lemonade and engage in a juice fast.
In short, you drink massive amounts of lemonade mixed with cayenne pepper. Gross. In fact, let’s make that a double gross.
Not only do you do this a ridiculous amount of times throughout the day, but you also may take laxatives. And you’ll be hungry. In fact, U.S. News & World Report says that one consumes about 650 calories a day on the Master Cleanse. That’s code for starvation. No one should have to deprive themselves to this or any extent.
That said, what do you do if you really want to lose weight in a healthy manner?
The answer is simple. There are two sensible diets backed by numerous experts. In other words, there are answers to the mystery of weight loss.
The first is Weight Watchers. To put it simply, Weight Watchers is a cinch to follow. It’s the granddaddy of healthy diet plans.
This time-tested great isn’t a diet. It’s a lifestyle. You can eat absolutely anything you want. All you have to do is account for points, and you won’t be restricted in any way. Foods like fruits and vegetables are encouraged in ample quantities.
But that’s not the only healthy dietary option. For those with health concerns, the DASH Diet is an excellent choice. In fact, the U.S. News & World Report ranks it number one in Best Overall Diets. And it also ranks number one in Best Diabetes Diets.
Not only is DASH low in sugar, but it also works to lower “bad cholesterol” levels and raise “good cholesterol” levels. And it’s great for high blood pressure.
“Rigorous studies show DASH can lower blood pressure, which if too high can trigger heart disease, heart failure and stroke,” according to U.S. News & World Report. “Overall, DASH reflects the medical community’s widely accepted definition of a heart-healthy diet – it's heavy on fruits and vegetables and light on saturated fat, sugar and salt.”
So if you’re struggling with high blood pressure, consider the DASH Diet. You can learn more about this expert-recommended plan here.
Eating better means incorporating healthy habits – not just for the duration of the diet – but for a lifetime. Make sure your diet is something you can live with.