Are Fad Diets Harmful to Health - Essay Example

Throughout high school, June had a tough time making friends and fitting in the social groupings that every student subscribed to. It was obvious to her that her extra-large body had to do with the obvious segregation. When Mercy, an equally ample-bodied girl, joined her class, her prayers for the company were answered. Soon after graduating from high school, her soul-mate and only source of comfort traveled back to her parents, leaving her to her customary loneliness. Time was passing and she would soon join college, and June had to get away to fit in the society that associates “fat” with all life negativities. She began drinking nothing but a mixture of maple syrup and lemon water for days. She would supplement this with cabbage soup. Occasionally, she would buy The Hollywood forty-eight-hour Miracle Diet juice at Walgreens. She would count fat grams, sugar grams, calories, and carbohydrates. June became a fad diet junkie.

Many young women undergo the same kind of social segregation because of their body sizes and shapes (Moyad, 2005). Other than the potential physical health complications that obesity poses to millions of citizens around the states, the reported social view of the obese adds another danger of psychological health risks to the obese. For this reason, many people, especially the youth and young adults have resorted to fad dieting oblivious of the effects of such choices (Fineberg, 1972). The research looks at the rationale of fad dieting. It gives answers the question: Is the fad diet really an effective way of losing weight and becoming slim, attractive, and fit, or is it just some fantasy people are living in?

The topic of study is important given the rumored health risks associated with the practice. There are claims that a fad diet is merely an illusion of getting slim. In fact, it is hazardous to health and a waste of time and money. In fact later it results in moreover weightiness than before. At the same time, some people report that they actually lose weight through fad dieting. Irrespective of the results of fad dieting, there is another problem of inconsistency of the diet one is supposed to stick to. There is a need to research the issue of fad dieting so as to help generate a standard, helpful diet or discourage the practice if it poses more dangers than benefits (Calman, Hauser, Lurio, & Pichardo, 2008). With the current state of improved information technology, there is so much information available to people, but that does not enhance people’s knowledge. The internet has a myriad of information concerning fad diets that reduce and manage obesity. Each site claims professionalism and the highest level of expertise in dietary matters with conflicting ideas to another (Rothblum, 1990). For instance, June was in a state of confusion as some sites and advisors told her that eggs were good for her situation as others said it was not good. Some encouraged her to eat shrimp as others denounced shrimps as a sure way to increase her weight. At the same time, some sources told her to avoid fats completely, some said she should eat fats but only those with carbohydrates as others urged her to consume margarine with hydrogenated fats. It is, therefore, had to trust these sources for a fad diet. This is a call to investigate and come up with the best possible solutions.

Problem Analysis:

Nowadays many teenagers and kids are seen being weight conscious and discussing the ways of getting rid of these extra fats. These teens and kids, making use of such artificial methods result not only in regretting them in the future but also in gaining more weight than before in later life. The media has played a big role in perpetuating the notion that slim bodies denote beauty. The trend to maintain slim bodies began with women, then slowly became a problem for men too. Many savvy marketers lure the public into cherishing diets that deplete their body's vitamins and cost them hundreds of dollars a month. Viewing body size as a problem was once a problem of the rich in the west, it spread to poor families and has gripped the whole world. With hyped advertising that portrays fat as bad, a fad diet may be a thing to stay for a long time to come unless discouraged or streamlined.

Detail causes of the problem:

Fad diets are harmful to health if they are consumed to surplus. They cause obesity which unconstructively impacts the functioning of the human body. Surveys have shown that obesity can lead to health complications such as heart attacks and other body tissue deteriorations (Journal of AHIMA (J AHIMA), 2011). These are adversely harmful. A healthy diet is recommended for people with obesity since they lack the ability to perform regular tasks. It is also imperative for people who are conscious about their health to use other natural methods of maintaining a good diet. Regular exercises are essential since they help the body to maintain a good shape.

A fad diet is caused by the craving to fit within the perceptions of the public. Social distress and pressure resulting from social segregation and stereotypes associated with fat people drive them to try all means of reducing their weights (Calman, Hauser, Lurio, & Pichardo, 2008). The craving to conform within the social viewpoints beats the need to be logical and patient to find out the benefits of the method of weight reduction against its negative externalities. Therefore, ignorance on the balance between the benefits and risks of fad dieting is part of the problem.