Diet Myths

Maintaining a healthy diet involves a balance of behavioral, psychological, environmental, and biological factors. An overwhelming amount of dieting information is available through the internet, television, magazines, and books. Some of this information is good, some bad, and some potentially harmful to dieting individuals. Surprisingly, little research has been done on dieting misconceptions and their effects on weight-loss efforts. Several of these weight-loss dieting myths should be debunked.

The “Magic Bullet” Syndrome

This is the belief that a pill, drink, special diet, or exercise machine will enable individuals to lose large amounts of weight rapidly and with little change in lifestyle. Individuals are continually bombarded with misleading advertisements (e.g., “Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!”, “Eat as much as you want and still lose weight!”). Such claims take advantage of people's faith in modern science and instill false beliefs that excess weight can be shed quickly and effortlessly. These claims may lead individuals to underestimate the medical severity of obesity and perceive the time and effort healthy dieting requires as unnecessary. Data from a large study in 1999 reported that most dieters are not using the recommended combination of reducing caloric intake and increasing physical activity. When these remedies do not live up to their claims, individuals may become discouraged and less likely to seek legitimate weight-loss alternatives.

While some dieting myths may be innocuous, others can present potential health risks to dieters.

Dieting is Bad

In past decades, there was a fear that dieting would lead to eating disorders, binge eating, and/or further weight gain. Current research, however, does not support this contention. While improper weigh-loss techniques (e.g., skipping meals, starvation/fasting, purging, compulsive overexercise, amphetamine use) can be associated with disordered eating, evidence demonstrates that proper dieting (e.g., limiting portion sizes, consuming foods low in caloric density, limiting fat intake, balancing nutrients, avoiding excess sugar) actually reduces the incidence of eating disorders and binge eating in overweight individuals.

Carbohydrates are Bad

Fad diets, such as the low-carbohydrate diet, are notorious for gaining immense popularity, failing to live up [Page 188]to their hype, and fading away until the next fad arises promising more weight loss with less effort. Ironically, in the early 1980s, the high-carbohydrate diet was touted as the answer to obesity. In the 2000s, America was in the midst of a low-carbohydrate craze. However, research demonstrates that low-carbohydrate diets work if they reduce caloric intake and do not work if they do not reduce caloric intake. Carbohydrates are not necessarily good or bad; weight loss is determined by calories regardless of macronutrient makeup.

Snacking is Bad

Frequency of snacking is not consistently related to weight gain. In fact, recent evidence suggests that individuals who eat more often tend to weigh less when controlling for the number of calories eaten. Snacking can help individuals avoid feeling that they need to starve themselves to lose weight and can help curb strong cravings that may otherwise lead to ingesting a large amount of calories. Snacking can also be used strategically before meals (e.g., fruit or salad before a main course) in order to reduce intake of a calorie-dense plate. However, the caloric content of snacks is important. Continually snacking on high-calorie foods will likely lead to weight gain, while an increase in snacking on low-calorie foods may actually result in weight loss.

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