Category: Diet

Millions of people in North America are overweight, and many of those are obese. Nearly all overweight people do want to lose their extra pounds, both for cosmetic and for health reasons, and there are plenty of diet programs out there to allegedly help these people meet their goals: low-carb, low-fat, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, Atkins, South Beach, liquid…the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, with this abundance of choice comes a scarcity of healthy, sustainable programs. Are diet programs worth it, or is the old standby — the combination of a reduced-calorie diet and exercise — the best choice?

Benefits of Diet Programs

The benefits of diet regimens will vary from program to program. All of them, however, do provide a basic framework for users to follow. Eat this, not that; eat this much, at this time; follow the step-by-step process and you will succeed. This detailed instruction can take a lot of the guesswork out of planning meals, helping people stay motivated toward their goals.

These diets are also attractive because they often allow people to indulge on occasion, giving dieters the best of both worlds: weight loss and tasty treats. Some diets allow people to eat nearly anything they’d like, as long as they follow some restrictions. This can also increase the sustainability of the dieter’s efforts, helping them achieve their goals.

Drawbacks of Diet Programs

Though some of these diets work, many are simply unhealthy and unsustainable. Low-carb diets may result in low-energy lives; liquid and other extreme diets essentially amount to self-starvation, doing nothing but lowering the body’s metabolism and resulting in no permanent weight loss. Many people, desperate for change, jump from diet to diet, fad to fad, hoping for the magic bullet that never comes.

In addition, some dieters forget the other crucial ingredient for weight loss: exercise. A diet alone may help burn fat, but it will not produce a healthy, attractive body on its own. Furthermore, “thin” doesn’t equate to “healthy” if body systems, especially the heart and the circulatory system, are not fit.

In the end, the benefits and drawbacks will depend on the specific program. Most people, though, would be well-served by following the tried-and-true advice: eat less, exercise more. As always, anyone embarking on a new diet program should consult their doctor before beginning this significant lifestyle change.