Weighing the Options: Food Faddism in America

Since 2013, the paleo diet has been the most-searched food fad on the internet, yet U.S. News & World Report ranked it as one the least effective among 37 other buzzworthy diets. With more than 100 million Americans a year sampling various nutrition regimens, Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) must stay on top of the latest trends to guide patients in making healthy choices. 

Patients typically consult health care providers during the summer months for advice on weight control, although for FNPs, helping patients maintain a healthy lifestyle is a year-round goal. As rates of nutrition-linked morbidities like heart disease and diabetes continue to soar, it is more important than ever for FNPs to educate their patients in making better food choices.

Refer to the infographic below to learn about the latest consumer diets and their nutritional pros and cons.

  • Food Faddism in America

    According to the National Institutes of Health, 68 percent of the United States adult population is overweight or obese.

    In an effort to combat obesity and maintain a balanced, healthy diet, An estimated 45 million Americans – 14 percent of the population – diet each year.

    Americans spend $33 billion annually on weight loss products.

    As more and more Americans look for ways to improve their health by changing their eating habits, they turn to established and popular diet plans – also known as “fad diets.” Not all fad diets are the same; in fact, fad diets can be drastically different – from how they are followed to the effects they have on the body.

    Popular Fad Diets

    Low-carbohydrate diet

    Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose to energize cells, tissues, and organs. The body stores excess glucose and converts it into fat. This diet reduces daily carbohydrate intake by nearly 75 percent in order to burn stored fat for energy.

    Allow

    • Meat
    • Poultry
    • Fish
    • Eggs
    • Nonstarchy vegetables

    Limit

    • Grains
    • Legumes
    • Fruits
    • Breads
    • Sweets
    • Pasta
    • Starchy vegetables

    Low-fat/vegetarian diet

    Common types of vegetarian diets exclude meat, poultry, and seafood, while making an allowance for dairy products and eggs. Exceptions include a plant-based flexitarian diet that makes occasional allowances for meat.

    Allow

    • Fruits
    • Vegetables
    • Nuts and seeds
    • Dairy products
    • Grains
    • Eggs (sometimes)

    Limit

    • Meat
    • Fish
    • Poultry

    Low-glycemic diet

    The glycemic index (GI) measures how foods containing carbohydrates raise glucose levels in the blood with high, medium, and low ratings. This diet is based on eating a balanced diet composed of foods with medium or low GI ratings.

    Skim Milk

    Allow

    • Fruits
    • Vegetables
    • Whole grains
    • Legumes
    • Low-fat dairy products

    Limit

    • High-fat dairy products
    • Processed snacks
    • Baked goods
    • High-fat animal proteins

    Mediterranean diet

    Based on Mediterranean-style cooking, this diet emphasizes an eating plan that helps promote a healthy lifestyle. It has been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and incidences of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

    Allow

    • Fruits
    • Vegetables
    • Whole grains
    • Legumes
    • Nuts
    • Olive oil
    • Wine
    • Fish

    Limit

    • Red meat
    • Butter
    • Salt
    • Sweets

    Gluten-free diet

    Primarily used to treat celiac disease, this diet has risen in popularity over the last few years. When following the gluten-free diet, all foods containing gluten must be avoided.

    Allow

    • Beans
    • Seeds
    • Nuts
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Poultry
    • Fruits
    • Vegetables
    • Dairy products

    Limit

    • Barley
    • Rye
    • Triticale
    • Wheat

    Paleolithic diet

    This diet, also known as the paleo diet, is based on foods that might have been eaten between 2.5 million and 10,000 years ago during the Paleolithic era. Followers of this diet believe that the human body adapts better to this original way of eating.

    Allow

    • Fruits
    • Vegetables
    • Nuts and seeds
    • Lean meats
    • Fish
    • Olive oil

    Limit

    • Grains
    • Legumes
    • Dairy products
    • Refined sugar
    • Salt
    • Potatoes
    • Processed foods

    Raw foods diet

    This diet consists of food that hasn’t been cooked, processed, microwaved, irradiated, genetically engineered, or exposed to pesticides or herbicides. Raw food dieters typically cite weight loss and an overall improvement in health as their reasoning for choosing the diet.

    Allow

    • Fruits
    • Vegetables
    • Sprouts
    • Nuts and seeds
    • Grain
    • Raw legumes
    • Cold-pressed olive oil
    • Freshly squeezed juice

    Limit

    • Pasteurized and processed foods
    • Refined sugars and flours
    • Table salt
    • Caffeine

    Sources

    • http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/guidelines/ob_gdlns.pdf
    • http://www.bmc.org/nutritionweight/services/weightmanagement.htm
    • http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-032013-182351
    • http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/weight-loss/in-depth/low-carb-diet/art-20045831
    • http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/understanding-carbohydrates/glycemic-index-and-diabetes.html
    • http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/vegetarian-diet/art-20046446
    • http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/in-depth/diabetes-diet/art-20044295
    • http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801
    • http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/gluten-free-diet/art-20048530
    • http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/paleo-diet/art-20111182
    • http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/raw-food-diet