NO MATTER HOW many times we’re told otherwise, our obsession with get-healthy-quick schemes will likely never die.
Too bad most of these fads aren’t worth their weight in salt – or your hard-earned dollars.
We’ve put together a list of some of worst health trends that still persist today.
Weight Loss Wardrobes
When it comes to ridiculous-looking toning shoes and clothing designed to help shed pounds faster, you might want to hold off.
Reebok’s already paid $25 million to consumers after settling a claim that it made unsupported claims about its line of toning shoes’ weight loss power (Reebok denies the allegations). And the one study that seems to support the claim that tight-fitting threads help burn more calories only involved about 15 participants.
“I think there are much simpler and less expensive ways the average person can bump up calorie burn and build strength,” says Shape.com’s Liz Neporent. “For instance, interval training and hill work. These workouts certainly have the science behind them.”
Hormone Injections
People really will do anything to shed pounds, even if it means injecting themselves with hormones made from another woman’s placenta.
The FDA in the US ordered companies to stop selling hCG (a protein made in the placenta and passed through pregnant woman’s’ urine) after it was used in conjunction with low-calorie diet regimens. A 40-day kit sells for $120 but the hormone’s only been approved for use in fertility treatments.
Per the MayoClinic: “HCG is not approved for over-the-counter use, nor has it been proved to work for weight loss. Companies that sell over-the-counter HCG weight-loss products are breaking the law.”
Detox Diets
Here’s a trend that makes just about every nutritionists’ blood boil: the idea that people can purge their bodies of toxins by consuming different variations of liquid diets.
From the cabbage soup plan to the infamous Beyonce “Master Cleanse“, there’s hardly any science to back them up, says Essential Nutrition for You‘s Rania Batayneh.
“What consumers need to know is that your body naturally detoxifies itself through our lungs, skin and kidneys,” she said. “Sweat it out, breathe it out and eliminate. Eating a clean diet daily will give you the feeling you are looking forward to at the end of your depriving cleanse, so get started. Besides, cleanses are unnatural and typically based on eliminating food groups and or foods altogether.”
Artificial Sweeteners
Splenda just rolled out a new version of its popular sweetener – this time with extra fibre – but the idea that consumers should pay more fake sugar that’s been pumped with more fake ingredients is slightly irksome.
“Adding healthy components to unhealthy things just doesn’t make sense,” says Batayneh. “What is 1 gram of fibre (or maybe 10 for those who over consumer artificial sweeteners) going to do for you when you should really be focusing on whole grains, beans, seeds, fruits and vegetables versus relying on your coffee for fibre? This small dose of fibre should not convince you to try it.”
Gluten-free Diets (if you don’t medically need one)
Batayneh calls this one of the worst weight loss myths out there and another attempt to play on the low-carb fad sparked by the Atkin’s diet.
“A gluten-free diet does not necessarily mean a low-carb diet,” she says. “A person who eats gluten-free can ingest plenty of carbohydrates from gluten-free breads, pastas, cereals, and baked goods as well as vegetables, fruits, beans, and legumes.”
Gluten-free lifestyles have been proven to ease symptoms of autism in children and, obviously, are vital to anyone with a gluten allergy. But “if you don’t have a medical reason for following a gluten-free diet, there’s probably no benefit,” says Tricia Thompson, R.D., founder of glutenfreedietitian.com.
Most Organic Produce
Whether or not there are added health benefits to eating organic produce, it’s a common misconception that they somehow come packed with less calories than their pesticide-laden brethren.
Even federal guidelines on what’s certified organic aren’t all that stringent and plenty of regular produce isn’t “dirty” enough to warrant paying top dollar (as much as 150 per cent more) for organic versions anyway.
The Environmental Works Group has an excellent chart detailing the “dirty” and “clean” products we should worry about.
Snack Packs
Weight loss has much to do with portion control, but those helpful little 100-calorie pack snacks are nothing but a big budget suck.
“We have portion distortion in this nation and even though I like that (100-calorie packs) are pre-portioned, that can be a more expensive option,” Batayneh says.
Instead, keep a measuring cup in your desk drawer to scoop out perfect portions of whatever you’re munching on at work (almonds, trail mix, etc.) rather than paying more for packaging.
Acai Berries
There are literally no clinical studies that support claims that antioxidants in acai berries will make you live longer, help you fly, smooth your crow’s feet or anything else.
“We’ve had waves of costly ‘super juices’ in the marketplace that were nothing more than fruit juice,” says clinical nutritionist Stella Metsovas. “Testing chemical properties in a laboratory is completely different once the product is pasteurized. There is no possibility of processing a super-fruit to compete with the natural form (ie, a handful of berries).”
The acai berry’s popularity in the US, for example, spawned a new wave of consumer scams involving “free trial offers” for smoothies, juices and other products.
Not only will they destroy your teeth, but a recent study by the American Diabetes Association pretty much proved diet drink consumers were packing on pounds, not shedding them.
Zero-calorie sodas have also been linked to a slew of nasty diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
If you’re looking to kick the habit, try weening yourself off slowly with fizzy substitutes like carbonated water or reducing your portion size bit by bit.
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