By Pamela Mariz
Geminiano
BAGUIO
CITY -- The National Nutrition Council in Cordillera has warned city
residents against fad diets that promise fast and easy results as these may
have negative effects on the body.
“The most common fad
diet trends worldwide include the Ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, Atkins
diet, blood type diet and many more," NNC-CAR dietician Bella Basalong said
Tuesday.
Basalong cited the USA
Center for Disease Control and Prevention's definition of "fad diet"
as a weight loss plan that promises quick results with short-term change in
nutrition needs.
"One way to spot a
fad diet is if it promises rapid weight loss in a short period of time, which
sounds too good to be true.
Food choices in the diet
are limited to certain food or food groups, which can be difficult to sustain,”
she explained.
Basalong warned that
such diets promise weight loss without exercise and sound “scientific,” but are
actually not supported by studies.
"Fad diets have negative
drawbacks, which include occurrence of malnutrition due to certain mineral or
vitamin deficiencies. It can lead to dehydration, getting tired quickly due to
limited calories, and alters metabolism, which can cause serious diarrhea or
constipation. It also affects emotional health due to frustration on achieving
the desired weight loss," she said out.
Basalong said fad diets
that introduce high fat can also lead to cardiovascular diseases, adding that
fad diet pills and supplements might also contain ingredients that are harmful
to the body.
High protein fad diets,
according to her, affect the organs of the body such as kidney.
She said the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as other nutritionist and dietitians, do not
promote the practice of fad diets due to their effects on the body.
"The most
successful weight management is a lifelong process, which includes healthy
eating, regular physical exercise, and behavior change,” the city nutritionist
said.
Meanwhile, NNC
Cordillera Coordinator Rita Papey said in a separate interview that obesity is
a problem in Cordillera, as the region has the fifth highest rate of obesity in
the country.
Papey said that obesity,
or over-nutrition, is also a form of malnutrition, signifying imbalances in the
person's intake of energy and nutrients that lead to diet-related
non-communicable diseases.
Jumping on the bandwagon
of popular diet fads can also be a gateway to eating disorder habits and
behavior, Papey warned.
Many of these trendy
diets, she said, are not only ineffective but also dangerous to one’s physical
health.
In
a world that dwells so much on physical attributes, people will always have to
live with the society's standards, the nutritionists noted, adding that in
today's generation, where social media is accessible, there is a strong
emphasis on idealized beauty on platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter, and even magazines and television.
Guian, a gym enthusiast
who requested to be identified just with his first name, said body shaming is not
an encouragement, but a judgmental health advice.
He said celebrities and
models seen on social media with “perfect bodies” often make people critical of
themselves and experiences the pressure of living up to society's unrealistic
standards.
Guian
said body shaming has become a serious societal issue.
Body shaming is defined
as inappropriate, negative statements and attitudes toward another person’s
weight or size.
Guian said the social
stigma of obesity has created negative psycho-social impairments that lead to
psychological and health issues.
"It has the power
to make someone feel unlovable," he said. "It causes so many
insecurities that they can’t even love themselves let alone expect someone else
to love them. This is something individuals should not inflict on anyone.
Living in the 21st century, everyone should be accepting of all body types.
Encouraging each other to understand that our bodies are different, beautiful whether we are thick, thin, curvy,
or not flawless. We were created to be different, and we need to learn to love
those differences." -- PNA
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