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Fad diets are bad diets
AMA Victoria President, Dr Sam Lees today welcomed the State Government Fad Diets Won’t Work initiative.
“A healthy lifestyle rather than a quick fix solution is the proven path to sustain a healthy weight,” he said.
“Fad or crash ‘diets’, which make claims of dramatic weight loss, weight gain, or performance enhancement, are often not nutritionally balanced and do not promote healthy eating habits,” Dr Lees said.
Dr Lees said that medical practitioners today were encouraged to include poor body image and dieting behaviour as part of their systematic lifestyle risk assessment when taking a medical history.
Dr Lees said people who struggle to maintain a healthy weight should consult with their doctor.
“Medical practitioners understand the complex process of behaviour change needed to address a patient’s concerns regarding weight management. Any weight management plan must be monitored and reviewed regularly,” Dr Lees said.
AMA Victoria weight management and eating behaviour spokesman, Dr Rick Kausman, the clinical expert advising on the campaign, said diets that promise a quick fix solution can lead to poor physical and mental health.
“If we are above our most healthy weight, whilst we would all like to lose weight fast, it is a holistic approach to a healthy lifestyle that will ultimately get results that last,” Dr Kausman said.
Dr Kausman said that people who follow the basic principles of a balanced diet combined with moderate exercise were more likely to have success at weight management and would experience a significantly increased sense of well being.
“People shouldn’t be made to feel bad or guilty for eating certain foods. What is needed is an educational process that suggests moderation is the key to an ongoing successful weight management program,” Dr Kausman said.
With over 17 years of experience in the field, Dr Kausman said that the alarming number of people who are being seduced by fad diets is an obvious indication that people are frustrated and will try anything for immediate results.
Dr Kausman said that the basic principles to effective weight management are to eat low kilojoule nutritious foods, eat slowly and enjoy your food, look at ways to increase activity and eat until you are satisfied.
“There are no quick fix solutions. No magic foods or combinations of foods that will shed the weight overnight and remain off. Fad diets simply don’t work in the longer term,” he said.
“General Practitioners work closely with other health professionals including dietitians, nutritionists, psychologists, and psychiatrists to address body image and related issues with patients, and provide advice and referral for patients to achieve optimum health,” he said.
Dr Kausman said that it is important that safe and supportive environments are provided to facilitate access, education, increase participation and willingness to engage in a range of healthy physical activities by people with body image concerns.
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