The real story - Fad Diets!

According to Family Doctor.org, "A fad diet is a weight loss plan or aid that promises dramatic results. These diets don't offer long-term success, and they are usually not very healthy. Some of them can actually be dangerous to your health."

The American Heart Association says "Quick-weight-loss diets usually overemphasize one particular food or type of food. They violate the first principle of good nutrition: Eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods." and "These diets also violate a second important principle of good nutrition: Eating should be enjoyable. These diets are so monotonous and boring that it's almost impossible to stay on them for long periods."

The University of Colorado webpage has his to say ""crash" diets often send dieters into a cycle of quick weight loss followed by a "rebound" weight gain once normal eating resumes. Only 5 percent of dieters actually keep weight off in the long run. "

I'm glad you all like it.

More information about colon cleansing! 

Stories about colon health, from those selling products, abound on the internet.

These stories are made up by people wanting to sell products, and believed by those who have no understanding of how the digestive tract works.  I think a dose of the truth is needed here.  I've collected some information from respected medical sources.  Please read this before you attempt any "cleansing"

Let's start with this fecal matter business. The sellers of colon cleanses often state that fecal matter builds up in the colon.  Here's a famous internet hoax, debunked by Snopes.com

John Wayne's Colon  Please read it.  The article says that if anyone had that much fecal matter in the bowel, they would be suffering horribly with pain and bleeding.  Fecal matter does not collect in the colon and stay there.

Here's a simple explanation of how the human digestive tract works

From Wisegeek.com

Here's what the colon does

From Metropedia

Here's a quote from the above article:

"If the muscles of the colon do not contract in the right way, then the contents inside the colon do not move correctly, or move too quickly or too slowly, then overly watery stools or overly hard stools can result. When this happens, it causes abdominal pain, cramps, constipation, diarrhea, and a sense of incomplete stool movement."

My comment:  In other words, if there is fecal matter still in the colon, you'll have really bad symptoms.  It can't just stay there without you knowing it.  It does not "build up."  If someone were to have 10 pounds of fecal matter in their colon, that person would be in AGONY!  There is no way it could be ignored.

Here's what the experts say:

The Mayo Clinic

Quackwatch

Health A to Z

Unfortunately, most of the information on the internet about colon health, is published by the people selling colon cleanses.  That makes it hard to get accurate information.  I've tried to do that for you and hope it helps.

Let's move on, to Kevin Trudeau, and his many books

Trudeau has been sued by the FTC in the past for false advertising. He even went to jail for fraud & theft, and paid millions in fines. He makes things up, cons people into believing him, and gladly takes their money.  This is my opinion, but check out what the experts say:

See Quackwatch

See Scientific American Skeptic

Read this from the New York Times Business pages

After Jail and More, Salesman Scores Big with Cure All Book

And this from Salon.com

What Kevin Trudeau Doesn't Want You to Know 

From The Skeptic's Dictionary

His Criminal History

He even Lies About His Age!

I'll tell you one thing - Mr. Trudeau isn't getting a penny of MY hard earned money!

Great info!  Thank you for posting :)

Great information Clairelaine! Thank you.

Regarding colon cleansing and such, what if you do have colon problems ? Have you found any notable sources for information on that?!

Thanks this is great info to stop me wanting to just not eat anything when I feel fat! 

I always knew it was unhealthy but now I know why and that it won't even help me lose any weight. 

If your "_____ diet" has a word other than "healthy" before "diet", it's probably a fad.

This is such a great thread.  I've never really been one to fall for the fad diets, but I have been curious.  I have a friend who is constantly coming up with something hare-brained idea to help her lose weight easily, without really having to put in serious work.  "Liquid diet!" "You take these pills and don't eat anything and lose a ton of weight!" "Do jumping-jacks in a sauna and then go swimming!"  I think I might send her links to some of these articles!

I'm a certified nutritionist and meet a lot of people who want a quick fix, pill or potion that will make the numbers on the scales change.  Having BTDT, I understand what it feels like to get on the scales a few days after trying something new (Mayo grapefruit diet, anyone?) and actually feeling happy about getting the stomach flu, thinking about all that water I'm losing. 

But it's so important to treat your body as though it was your very best friend in the world, because -- guess what -- it is!  Being kind to your body means doing everything gently, slowly and carefully in order to allow it time to adapt to whatever new way of life you want it to adhere to. 

Also, as a pp mentioned, if you eat food in its natural state, avoiding processing like the plague, your bowels won't need any extra attention.  Give your body what it recognizes and it will digest it beautifully -- for it will store anything it doesn't recognize as fat.

This is a brilliant thread.  The only thing left to add is some research on water and just how important it is to weight loss.

http://www.sideroad.com/Diet_and_Nutrition/wa ter-and-weight-loss.html

Cheers!

I could not agree more. I have done faddy diets and pills in the past and I have failed. Slimfast was one of the worst, followed by this other one where I had to take pills and drink shakes. Slimfast leaves you needing to actually eat something, in fact anything. So whilst in the short term slimfast has one benefit that lasts not more than a week or two, and that is losing about 3lbs fair enough, BUT you will gain that and some once you just HAVE to eat something and you don't stop!

The other bad one I thought was a good idea at the time left me feeling very sick and depressed. The ONLY way to lose weight is to eat healthy and exercise, and plenty of it.

well to not eat as much.simple!! is how ive lost weight, ive lost 4 stone already and ive counted sats fat, (in 5 months)which is much better than caloire counting,its just a way of living really changing your habits etc, if i can do it belive me anyone can.:)

i agree

WOW!!!

THANKS, Chairelaine!!!!

What a Wonderful Thread!!!

{{{Laughing!}}}

I JUST posted a new thread asking for comments on the Biggest Loser Plan I was just offered, lol!!!! THEN, I saw this...!!!

I Appreciate your hard work putting this together-- I'll be tagging it to keep!