Fad Diets & Dietary Supplements
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW
Fad Diets
Americans spend $40 billion annually on dieting and dieting products
66% American adults are overweight or obese
41% of American adults are trying to lose weight
Promise quick weight loss Short-term Sells something No exercise required Advocates a miracle food that burns fat Involves pills or herbs Drastically cuts calories Skips or replaces meals Eliminates a food group Require specific foods or consumed in certain
combinations
How to Recognize a Fad Diet
Low energy Muscle loss Water loss Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
What Can Happen?
Fad diets are temporary solutions that can: Cost you good health Offer you false hope Prevent you from making healthy changes to
your diet and lifestyle Make you feel like a failure Cost you money
Fad Facts
South beach diet Atkins diet Scarsdale medical
diet Grapefruit diet Enter the zone 3-day diet Sugar Busters
Protein Power Cabbage soup diet Grapefruit diet Rice diet Master cleanse Juice diet New glucose
revolution
Fad Diets
Includes: Atkins The Zone Protein Power
High protein, high fat, low carbohydrate Body goes into state of ketosis Fiber and nutrients limited Increases risk of certain diseases Difficult to maintain
Low Carb Diets
Includes: The New Glucose Revolution South Beach Diet Good Carbs, Bad Carbs Sugar Busters
Rank carbohydrates on effects on blood sugar High: 70+ Moderate: 56-69 Low: >55
Glycemic Index Diets
Includes Cabbage Soup Diet Grapefruit Diet Rice Diet
Important nutrients may be missing
Likely very low in calories
Impossible to maintain
Single Foods Diets
Includes: Master Cleanse Juice Diet
Modified fast diets Rid body of toxins:
Smoke Pesticides Food additives
Need to cleanse the body to avoid illness
Detox Plans
Is it safe? Is it nutritionally sound? Does it sound too good to be true? Does it promise rapid weight loss? Is it practical? Does it consider special occasions?
Eating out? Feeding the family?
Does the program include physical activity? Does the program include weight loss maintenance?
How to Size up any Diet?
Be realistic –make small changes Be adventurous –enjoy a variety of foods Be active –get creative with your recreational
activities
Remember to…
Dietary Supplements
More than half of all American take one or more dietary supplements daily or on occasion
Annual sales are in excess of $19 Billion Supplements are considered foods, not drugs
Products intended to supplement the diet that contain at least one dietary ingredient to include: Vitamins Minerals Herbs or other botanicals Amino acids and substances such as enzymes
Dietary Supplements
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) was passed in 1994 by Congress to: Limit obstacles to marketing/promoting DS Provide for wide availability of DS to consumers Enhance information available to consumers
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) given regulatory control over DS
Dietary Supplement and the Law: DSHEA
Allows for product labeling claims as long as it does not diagnose, prevent, treat or cure a specific disease
While the statements must be truthful and not misleading, there is not a review/approval process by the FDA
Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act 1994
The manufacturer is responsible to ensure the product is safe
Manufacturers/distributors are not required to record, investigate or forward to the FDA any reports of injuries or illnesses that may be related to use of their product
Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act 1994
Without regulatory control there is a buyer beware market Dietary supplement advertisements can be misleading and
deceptive Claims of effectiveness may not be credible The concentration and quality of active ingredients can differ
from product to product
Dietary supplements may adversely interact with each other as well as prescription medications.
Dietary supplements are often utilized as a short cut to optimal nutritional practices.
General Concerns
Study of 12 brands 11/12 contained <90% or >110% of amount listed
on label 5/12 contained at least one ingredient not listed on
label 2/12 were missing at least one ingredient listed on
label Study of 240 supplements
18.8% contained steroids or pro-hormones not listed on label
Analysis of Dietary Supplements
Multivitamins can be useful for filling in the gaps in your diet.
A daily multivitamin/mineral supplement providing < 100% of the RDI for any one nutrient is reasonable for individuals who fail to consume a balanced diet
Avoid “megadose” products supplying 1000% of the RDI for Vitamins A, E, other fat-soluble vitamins, and beta-carotene
Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements
Boron
Garcinia Cambogia
Nitric Oxide
Carniti
Ginkgo Biloba
Pycnogenol
Ginseng
Branched Chain AA
Pyruvate
Chrysin
Glutamine
Taurine
CoEnzyme Q10
Tribulus Terrestris
Hoodia
Cordyceps
Turmeric
DHEA
Whey Protein
Lysine
Hydroxycitric
Acid/HCA
Yohimbe
Conjugated
Linoleic Acid 5 –Hydroxytrypto-
phan
Products without Legitimate Evidence to Support Claims
Folic acid and neural tube pregnancies Calcium and osteoporosis Sodium and hypertension Fruits and vegetables and cancer Dietary lipids and cancer Saturated fat and cholesterol and
coronary artery disease
FDA Approved Health Claims
Manufacturers may use structure/function claims Not authorized by FDA
Must be true and not misleading Must be accompanied by disclaimer
“This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease”
Examples: “Calcium builds strong bones” “Antioxidants maintain cell integrity”
Structure and Function Claims
Health-maintenance claims: “Maintains healthy circular system”
Non-disease claims: “helps you relax” “for muscle enhancement”
Cannot make maintenance claims about osteoporosis and other “serious diseases”
Can make health claim about relationship between a product or substance and the disease if approved
Other Claims
Manufacturers of DS do not have to demonstrate safety or effectiveness
Using DS may jeopardize mission success Do your homework before using DS to
ensure safety Only high quality products with USP
certification labels should be used Combining and stacking DS increase the
potential for unsafe side effects
Key Points
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