Obesity is a growing trend throughout the United States today despite the efforts that have been made in order to move towards becoming a healthier society. In “2009 it was estimated that 68% of American adults were either overweight or obese” (Hu). Although we may enjoy blaming our weight gains on eating out at restaurants that serve people a single meal that contain a day’s worth of calories, we as a society continually choose to eat these unhealthy foods. Because obesity rates in America have steadily grown, it has become more vital for people to direct themselves towards becoming healthier. As a community we can solve this ongoing issue by truly understanding the many factors that are included when participating in fad diets, how our body actually functions during weight-loss and ways to maintain ones’ weight more efficiently after weight-loss. With this knowledge it is possible to promote change not only for oneself but for others around them, resulting in the weight-loss they desire and keeping the weight off for good. 

Today, many people who are trying to lose weight focus on dropping weight quickly. A fad diet is a type of weight loss plan that claims to produce fast, dramatic results. People participate in these fad diets every day. There are a lot of these diets that exist in our society today. People participate in these diets each day without knowing what the diets are all about. We see and hear about fad diets all the time, either through TV commercials, radio, or magazines articles. Two of the most popular fad diets that people rave about today is the low-fat diet and the low-carbohydrate (low-carb) diet. Both diets claim to be the easiest and fastest way to lose weight. Although one can lose weight by participating in both diets, the question most people want answered is which diet allows for more weight-loss and what effects do these diets have on the body?

The low-fat diet is known for being a more balanced, safe, realistic and flexible diet to participate in when trying to lose (Sheehy). Low-fat diets involve someone eating a minimal amount of fat while also watching the amount of calories consumed each day. The reason for keeping track of the amount of calories consumed is because the human body stores extra calories as fat even when there is not fat contained within the food itself. The fat in ones’ diet is much more energy dense than lean foods, meaning that there are more calories per gram in fatty foods than those without. Reducing the amount of fatty foods that one puts into their body, will result in improvement surrounding cardiovascular risk factors associated with fat and protection from other chronic diseases that may occur within the body (Sheehy).

 On the flip side, low-carb diets, like the famous Atkins diet, create energy for the body through eating protein and vegetables in whatever amounts one would like. Counting calories is not an important factor in the low-carb diet. The thought process behind the low-carb diet is that when one exercises, the body burns carbohydrates first and then moves on to burning body fat. Therefore, by cutting carbohydrates out of one’s diet, there are no carbohydrates for the body to burn. Instead, the body just has fat to burn when exercising. There generally is an initial rapid weight-loss while on the low-carb diet due to the reduction of glycogen reserves and water weight that is lost within the body (Sheehy). However, due to the lack of carbs being consumed each day the body can develop a condition known as ketosis. Ketosis is the feeling of nausea, dehydration and/or bad breath (Sheehy). While participating in the low-carb diet there is a “low intake of minerals and vitamins which will result in a deficiency” within the body (Sheehy). Many times, this deficiency will require participants to take supplemental vitamins while dieting. By doing this, the risk of developing ketosis while dieting greatly decreases (Sheehy).

Not only is it important to know the basics of a diet when considering your options, it is also important to know how much weight you are predicted to lose as a result of each diet along with the metabolic risk factors involved. In an article written in the American Journal of Epidemiology, there was a study conducted that compared the results of multiple different studies conducted all around the world. The purpose behind the studies was to discover if low-carb and low-fat diets lowered ones’ weight and/or how each of the diets affected the body’s metabolic risk factors (Hu). The study found that both diets were equally effective in decreasing ones’ body weight and waist circumference while also reducing blood pressure, total cholesterol, blood glucose levels and serum insulin levels (Hu).

Although both diets appear to be comparable, in some instances they vary when looking into the extent in which the results go. In a year long trial involving people participating in low-fat and low-carb diets, it was discovered that though both diets resulted in weight loss, the low-fat diet group appeared to lose more muscle mass than fat within the body, while the low-carb diet group had reductions in body fat along with improvements in the body’s amount of lean muscle mass (O’Connor). Both diets also result in a reduction in total cholesterol, though people who were placed on the low-carb diet “experienced a significantly lower reduction in total cholesterol” levels within the body (Hu). Due to the high amounts of vegetable protein and unsaturated fat consumed during the low-carb diet, these participants were also associated with a lower risk of developing coronary heart disease (Hu). “Those on the low-carb diet ultimately did so well that they managed to lower their Framingham risk score, which calculates the likelihood of a heart attack within the next 10 years while the low-fat group had no improvements” (O’Connor). When comparing low-fat and low-carb diets in reference to reduction of body weight, waist circumference, and metabolic risk factors, there was not a significant difference between the two diets. This suggests that both of the diets are equally effective, but even though each of the diets help people lose weight it does not mean that each diet is effective at helping maintain the weight. 

“Only 20% of overweight individuals losing weight are successful for weight maintenance when defined as losing at least 10% of initial body weight and maintaining the loss for at least one year” (Lecheminant). A study was conducted pertaining to weight maintenance after participating in either the low-fat or low-carb diets. The participants in the study had to go through 3 months on their assigned diet and have their weight monitored for 6 months after dieting. In the study, the low-fat group decreased their body weight by an average of 18% during the diet while only 50% of the participants maintained their body weight during the maintenance period (Lecheminant). In the low-carb group, 19% of participants decreased their body weight during the diet while only 55% of the participants maintained their weight during the maintenance period (Lecheminant). The remainder of people in each of the diets increased their body weight during the maintenance period (Lecheminant). During the weight maintenance period low-fat participants reported having headaches, nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, dizziness and a change in their taste buds (Lecheminant). Meanwhile, those on the low-carb diet also reported experiencing headaches, along with constipation, flatus, hair loss, change in sleeping patterns, stomach cramps, dizziness, leg cramps, decreased sex drive, and dandruff (Lecheminant). Due to the somewhat high percentage of participants who gained back all or some of their previously lost weight, the question is raised; why can some people not permanently keep the undesired weight off? 

In a 2014 TEDtalk, neurologist, Sandra Aamodt, spoke on why dieting does not usually work for people trying to lose weight. Aamodt’s study is based on the knowledge that ones’ brain greatly influences weight-loss through the hypothalamus (Aamodt). The hypothalamus acts as a thermostat in the body, constantly striving and pushing the body to remain where the hypothalamus considers the normal weight or set point to be (Aamodt). As human beings it is in our nature to not let ourselves starve. It is programmed into the brain to conserve energy and produce more fat when one suddenly begins to start eating less food; like when going on a diet (Aamodt). So, if someone was to lose a lot of weight, the body would treat the weight-loss as if the person were starving. About 80% of 10-year-old girls say that they have dieted at some point in their lifetime, causing them to be 3 times more likely to become overweight when they get older (Aamodt). The body’s set point is easily moved up (as in a higher weight) because the body is constantly trying to conserve fat and use the food that is consumed as fuel, but it is not easily moved downward (Aamodt). This is especially true in ones’ teenage years when there is a lot of growth taking place (Aamodt). If someone stays at a higher weight for too long, then the body will consider that weight to be the new set point (Aamodt). This is why it is often difficult to maintain ones’ weight after dieting. For most people, after dieting for 3 months or less the body still has not changed its set point, therefore making it almost impossible to prevent regaining some or all of the weight previously lost (Aamodt). Statistics show that 40% of people gain more weight after dieting, than where they were at before beginning the diet (Aamodt). If someone is willing to change their lifestyle forever, then maintaining ones’ weight becomes a much simpler task because the body’s set point will gradually lower over time (Aamodt). One way to help prevent weight gain is through practicing mindful eating instead of dieting. 

“Successful weight-loss is said to require a three-pronged approach: changing your behavior, altering your diet, and increasing your physical activity” (Cheskin). By making permanent changes to your lifestyle involving diet and exercise, you are taking the first steps to tackling obesity in your life. The first step in having successful, permanent weight-loss is to change your behavior. This can be done by setting realistic goals to accomplish on one’s weight-loss journey (Cheskin). “The safest rate of weight-loss is 0.5-2 lbs a week. People who lose weight at this rate are more likely to keep it off (Cheskin). Another way to change your behavior would be to implement gradual, healthy changes to your lifestyle (Cheskin). By trying to make too many changes too fast one can be left feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, causing one to give up on themselves and their goals (Cheskin). Eating three meals a day, with snacks will help speed up the metabolism. “You will be more successful in the long run if you allow yourself to eat when you are hungry, eat enough healthy foods to satisfy that hunger, and spread your calorie intake over the course of the day” (Cheskin). If it seems hard to eat a lot of snacks throughout the day another option would be to drink more water. “Dehydration can make your body think that it is hungry”, so drinking about 130 fl oz of water per day will keep you hydrated and help keep the weight off (Phelps). Lastly, one should look into recording their progress. Having a food journal and a workout log to help keep you motivated and on task with your goals can really help change ones’ outlook on losing weight (Cheskin). 

The second part of the three-pronged approach is altering your diet. According to the Amerian Heart Association, people who skip breakfast are more likely to become obese (Phelps). “Most experts now recommend that a diet contain no more than 35% of calories from fat” (Cheskin). Ones’ day to day diet should consist of mostly fruits, vegetables and grains; which can help you to feel more full without adding any calories to your diet (Cheskin). Choosing lean cuts of meat, and poultry is also good for ones’ diet because it does not contain a lot of fat (Cheskin). One tip to keep in mind is that you should eat off of a blue plate because “seeing food on a blue dish- as opposed to red or yellow- reduces appetite, as shown in a variety of studies (Phelps).  Reading the food labels on the food that one purchases at the store is another good way to watch what one is putting into their body (Cheskin). This is a simple task to include into a daily routine when it comes to altering ones’ diet. It is required that all packaged foods provide all of the information about the ingredients included within the product (Cheskin). Lastly, considering the amount of calories that are in the beverages that you drink each day is a simple way to alter ones’ diet (Cheskin). Sugary drinks are not a good source of vitamins and minerals and do not satisfy ones’ hunger like eating food does for the body (Cheskin). 

The last aspect of the three-pronged approach is increasing physical activity. “The best exercise plan includes activities that involve stretching, balance, aerobic exercise and strength training” (Cheskin). When beginning an exercise program it should intensify gradually, not all at once (Cheskin). “Trying to do too much too soon may lead to muscle strain and soreness, or even injury” (Cheskin). One easy way to increase physical activity is by taking the stairs instead of the elevator when the opportunity presents itself or by parking in the back of the parking lot when going out (Cheskin). Another important aspect to take into consideration when developing an exercise program is putting variety into the exercises. In order to prevent yourself from getting bored, preform activities that work a variety of muscle groups (Cheskin). Swimming is a great way to work all of the muscle groups at once. By swimming laps for just one hour your body can burn up to 900 calories (Phelps). A good machine to use for cardio and muscle gains at the gym is the elliptical. If you make sure to use the handles on the elliptical it will help to “recruit muscles in your arms and burn almost double the calories in your overall workout” (Phelps). Increasing the amount of muscle in the body is imperative at the beginning of a commitment to a routine. The more muscle content in the body, the more body fat one will burn while working out (Phelps). 

With the growing obesity epidemic in America becoming more and more evident each day, it is important that we as a society learn how to take care of our bodies and stay healthy. In order to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle, we must be able to understand all aspects of the fad diets that are seen everyday and what impact these diets will actually have on ones’ body. It is also important to understand how our body functions under the circumstance of weight-loss both over a prolonged and short periods of time. Lastly, we must be able to maintain the weight that we have lost. In order to best maintain weight after accomplishing the desired goal one must make a lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle. If we can learn to take care of our bodies, and add a decade to our lifespan imagine all of the things that we can accomplish in the time that would have been otherwise lost. 
