0:00:06.619,0:00:08.875
Conventional wisdom about diets,

0:00:08.875,0:00:11.036
including government [br]health recommendations,

0:00:11.036,0:00:13.771
seems to change all the time.

0:00:13.771,0:00:15.895
And yet, ads routinely come about

0:00:15.895,0:00:19.917
claiming to have the answer [br]about what we should eat.

0:00:19.917,0:00:22.781
So how do we distinguish [br]what's actually healthy

0:00:22.781,0:00:26.516
from what advertisers just want us[br]to believe is good for us?

0:00:26.516,0:00:30.533
Marketing takes advantage of[br]the desire to drop weight fast,

0:00:30.533,0:00:31.892
and be stronger,

0:00:31.892,0:00:32.665
slimmer,

0:00:32.665,0:00:34.047
and brighter.

0:00:34.047,0:00:37.656
And in the big picture, diet plans[br]promising dramatic results,

0:00:37.656,0:00:39.495
known as fad diets,

0:00:39.495,0:00:43.644
are just what they seem:[br]too good to be true.

0:00:43.644,0:00:46.116
So where do diet fads even come from?

0:00:46.116,0:00:47.794
While the Ancient Greeks and Romans

0:00:47.794,0:00:52.231
rallied behind large-scale [br]health regimens centuries earlier,

0:00:52.231,0:00:56.530
this phenomenon began in earnest[br]in the Victorian Era

0:00:56.530,0:00:59.025
with crazes like the vinegar diet

0:00:59.025,0:01:00.958
and the banting diet.

0:01:00.958,0:01:04.248
Since then, diets have advised us [br]all sorts of things:

0:01:04.248,0:01:06.110
to excessively chew,

0:01:06.110,0:01:07.939
to not chew at all,

0:01:07.939,0:01:10.161
to swallow a grapefruit per meal,

0:01:10.161,0:01:12.061
non-stop cabbage soup,

0:01:12.061,0:01:14.247
even consumption of arsenic,

0:01:14.247,0:01:16.825
or tapeworms.

0:01:16.825,0:01:19.780
If the idea of diet crazes [br]has withstood history,

0:01:19.780,0:01:22.108
could this mean that they work?

0:01:22.108,0:01:24.682
In the short-term, [br]the answer is often yes.

0:01:24.682,0:01:26.157
Low-carbohydrate plans,

0:01:26.157,0:01:29.182
like the popular Atkin's [br]or South Beach diets,

0:01:29.182,0:01:32.312
have an initial diuretic effect.

0:01:32.312,0:01:35.628
Sodium is lost until the body[br]can balance itself out,

0:01:35.628,0:01:39.063
and temporary fluid weight loss may occur.

0:01:39.063,0:01:42.584
With other high-protein diets,[br]you might lose weight at first

0:01:42.584,0:01:44.670
since by restricting your food choices,

0:01:44.670,0:01:47.893
you are dropping [br]your overall calorie intake.

0:01:47.893,0:01:53.396
But your body then lowers [br]its metabolic rate to adjust to the shift,

0:01:53.396,0:01:55.838
lessening the diet's effect over time

0:01:55.838,0:01:59.959
and resulting in a quick reversal[br]if the diet is abandoned.

0:01:59.959,0:02:02.987
So while these diets [br]may be alluring early on,

0:02:02.987,0:02:06.879
they don't guarantee long-term benefits[br]for your health and weight.

0:02:06.879,0:02:09.967
A few simple guidelines, though,[br]can help differentiate between

0:02:09.967,0:02:13.927
a diet that is beneficial [br]in maintaining long-term health,

0:02:13.927,0:02:17.410
and one that only offers temporary[br]weight changes.

0:02:17.410,0:02:18.983
Here's the first tipoff;

0:02:18.983,0:02:22.234
If a diet focuses on intensely cutting[br]back calories,

0:02:22.234,0:02:24.621
or on cutting out entire food groups,

0:02:24.621,0:02:27.219
like fat, sugar, or carbohydrates,

0:02:27.219,0:02:29.597
chances are it's a fad diet.

0:02:29.597,0:02:32.218
And another red flag is ritual,

0:02:32.218,0:02:36.532
when the diet in question instructs you[br]to only eat specific foods,

0:02:36.532,0:02:38.523
prescribed combinations,

0:02:38.523,0:02:41.621
or to opt for particular food substitutes,

0:02:41.621,0:02:45.130
like drinks, bars, or powders.

0:02:45.130,0:02:47.768
The truth is shedding pounds[br]in the long-run

0:02:47.768,0:02:51.235
simply doesn't have a quick-fix solution.

0:02:51.235,0:02:54.808
Not all diet crazes tout weight loss.

0:02:54.808,0:03:00.313
What about claims of superfoods, cleanses,[br]and other body-boosting solutions?

0:03:00.313,0:03:01.893
Marketing emphasizes the allure

0:03:01.893,0:03:05.852
of products associated with ancient [br]and remote cultures

0:03:05.852,0:03:08.878
to create a sense of mysticism[br]for consumers.

0:03:08.878,0:03:12.414
While so-called superfoods,[br]like blueberries or acai,

0:03:12.414,0:03:14.958
do add a powerful punch of nutrients,

0:03:14.958,0:03:19.979
their super transformative qualities[br]are largely exaggeration.

0:03:19.979,0:03:22.525
They are healthy additions [br]to a balanced diet,

0:03:22.525,0:03:26.873
yet often, they're marketed[br]as part of sugary drinks or cereals,

0:03:26.873,0:03:30.059
in which case the negative properties[br]outweight the benefits.

0:03:30.059,0:03:33.307
Cleanses, too, may be great in moderation

0:03:33.307,0:03:35.950
since they can assist [br]with jumpstarting weightloss

0:03:35.950,0:03:40.033
and can increase the number of fresh[br]fruits and vegetables consumed daily.

0:03:40.033,0:03:41.803
Scientifically speaking, though,

0:03:41.803,0:03:45.058
they've not yet been shown to have[br]either a long-term benefit

0:03:45.058,0:03:51.047
or to detox the body any better than[br]the natural mechanisms already in place.

0:03:51.047,0:03:52.497
Everywhere we look,

0:03:52.497,0:03:55.263
we're offered solutions [br]to how we can look better,

0:03:55.263,0:03:56.646
feel fitter,

0:03:56.646,0:03:58.674
and generally get ahead.

0:03:58.674,0:04:00.223
Food is no exception,

0:04:00.223,0:04:04.686
but advice on what we should eat is best[br]left to the doctors and nutritionists

0:04:04.686,0:04:07.812
who are aware of our [br]individual circumstances.

0:04:07.812,0:04:11.388
Diets and food fads [br]aren't inherently wrong.

0:04:11.388,0:04:14.380
Circumstantially, [br]they might even be right,

0:04:14.380,0:04:17.527
just not for everyone all of the time.