Food faddism

The phrases food faddism and fad diet originally referred to idiosyncratic diets and eating patterns that promote short-term weight loss, usually with no concern for long-term weight maintenance, and enjoy temporary popularity. ^[1] The term has been co-opted in recent years by mainstream nutritionists to criticize ideas that challenge conventional wisdom, particularly low-carbohydrate diets. ^[2]

The term food fad may also be used with a positive connotation, namely, to describe the short term popularity among restaurants and consumers of an ingredient, dish, or preparation technique.^[3]

Scientific view

"Fad diet" is a term of popular media, not science. Some so-called fad diets may make pseudo-scientific claims, but others labeled "fad" are based on science. According to one definition, fad diets claim to be scientific but do not follow the scientific method in establishing their validity. Among the scientific shortcomings of the claims made in support of fad diets:

• not being open to revisions, whereas real science is^[4]
• observations that prompt explanations are used as evidence of the validity of the explanation^[4]

The term "fad diet" has been pulled into the debate in the scientific community over the physiology of weight gain and loss. It has been used by proponents of established views to discount the body of science cited by others, particularly low-carbohydrate diets. Some researchers hold to the established belief that weight loss is strictly a function of a reduction in caloric intake,^[5] and that no other strategy can help dieters achieve long term weight loss. Their position has been eroded by numerous studies that finds low-carbohydrate diets as effective or more effective than calorie restriction. JAMA

Fad diets

Food fad is term originally used to describe simple, catchy diets that often focused on a single element such as cabbage, grapefruit or cottage cheese. In 1974, the term was defined as three categories of food fads.^[6]

1. A particular food or food group is exaggerated and purported to cure specific diseases.
2. Foods are eliminated from an individual’s diet because they are viewed as harmful.
3. An emphasis is placed on eating certain foods to express a particular lifestyle.

In recent years food fad has become a popular pejorative term used by the mainstream nutritional and medical community to dismiss ideas and research that differ from their world view. A fad by definition involves a quick and brief surge in popularity. The Atkins diet and the Paleo diet both emerged in the 1970s, yet mainstream nutritionists disparage them as fad diets four decades later. Fad diets are often called "irrational" or "unscientific,"^[who?] which is disingenious since many of the criticized diets were developed by medical doctors, Atkins, for example, or accomplished researchers such as biochemist Barry Sears, who created the Zone diet.

FamilyDoctor.org, a publication of the American Academy of Family Physicians, for example proclaims that fad diets "typically don't result in long-term weight loss and they are usually not very healthy. In fact, some of these diets can actually be dangerous to your health.^[2] They then offer a long list that includes low-carbohydrate diets in general and Atkins, the Zone diet and three others by name. Numerous scientific studies contradict the website's assertions. A 2007 study published in the Journal of American Medicine concluded that women on the Atkins diet lost more weight than those on low-fat diets after 12 months. The researchers concluded that low-carbohydrate diets are a "feasible alternative recommendation for weight loss."^[7]

Examples

Programs often considered fad diets:

• Cabbage soup diet^{[citation needed]}
• Grapefruit diet (a.k.a. the Hollywood Diet and erroneously as the Mayo Clinic Diet)^[8]
• Fruitarianism^[9]
• Israeli Army diet^[10]
• Nutrisystem^{[citation needed]}
• Paleolithic diet ^[11]
• South Beach Diet^{[citation needed]}
• Gerson therapy^{[citation needed]}
• Low-fat diet^{[citation needed]}
• Morning banana diet^[12]
• Low-carbohydrate diet ^[13]
  • Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution^[14]
  • The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet^[14]
  • Protein Power^[14]
  • Sugar Busters^[14]
  • Zone diet^[14]
• High carb/low fat diets
  • Dr. Dean Ornish: Eat More, Weigh Less^[14]
  • The Good Carbohydrate Revolution^[14]
  • The Pritikin Principle^[14]
• Controlled portion sizes
  • Dr. Shapiro's Picture Perfect Weight Loss^[14]
  • Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan^[14]
• Food combining
  • Fit for Life^[14]
  • Suzanne Somers' Somersizing^[14]
• Liquid diets
  • Cambridge Diet^[14]
  • Slim-Fast^[14]
• Diet pills and herbal remedies
  • Dexatrim Natural^[14]
  • Hydroxycut^[14]
  • Metabolife 356^[14]
• Eat Right For Your Type: The Blood Type Diet^[14]
• Macrobiotics^[14]

References

1. ^ http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=fad+diet&o2=&o0=1&o7=&o5=&o1=1&o6=&o4=&o3=&h=
2. ^ ^{a b} "http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/food/improve/784.html
3. ^ "Illegal milk: the new US food fad". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2008-06-24. http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/illegal-milk-the-new-us-food-fad-20090407-9xee.html. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Carey, S (2004). A beginner's guide to the scientific method. Third Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
5. ^ Katz, D.L. (2003). "Pandemic obesity and the contagion of nutritional nonsense.". Public Health Reviews 31 (1): 33–44. PMID 14656042. 
6. ^ McBean, Lois D. M.S., R.D. and Elwood W. Speckmann Ph.D. (1974). Food faddism: a challenge to nutritionists and dietitians. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 27, 1071-1078.
7. ^ JAMA
8. ^ Scott, Jennifer R. (2008-11-10). "What You Need to Know About The Mayo Clinic Diet". About.com: Weight Loss. About.com. http://weightloss.about.com/cs/diets/a/aa011501a.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-25. 
9. ^ Forbes, Gilbert B., American Academy of Pediatrics, 1980. "[Food Fads: Safe Feeding of Children http://pedsinreview.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/1/7/207]" Pediatrics in Review. 1980;1:207-210. doi:10.1542/10.1542/pir.1-7-207.
10. ^ Jonathan (2009-09-19). "Israeli Army Diet Review". Worldofdiets.com. http://www.worldofdiets.com/israeli-army-diet-review/. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
11. ^ "Caveman fad diet". http://www.nhs.uk/news/2008/05May/Pages/Cavemanfaddiet.aspx. 
12. ^ Toyama, Michiko. Time, 17 October 2008, "Japan Goes Bananas for a New Diet" Accessed 1 July 2011.
13. ^ "Fad diets: Low Carbohydrate Diet Summaries". http://www.med.umich.edu/cvc/pdf/FadLowCarbDiet.pdf. 
14. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s} "Nutrition for Weight Loss: What You Need to Know About Fad Diets". familydoctor.org. 2004-02-01. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/food/improve/784.html. Retrieved 2011-09-19.