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Fad diets and diet centers add to the growing problem of obesity

By Matt MacLeod

Do you notice more and more ads on TV and the radio for different diet centers promising permanent weight loss? Although I am all about eating healthy and in a way supportive to the reduction of body fat and muscle gain, I am a large proponent against diet centers and most of the publicized diets out there. In my experience they are destined to fail in the long term. Maybe you yourself have tried one of the various diet fads or diet centers and have had less than stellar results. Or maybe you have had great results in the past, but now have gained that weight back. The reason you failed however, is probably not what you have even considered. Most likely you, along with other people, blamed yourself for not reaching your goal. In reality, the real culprit is not lack of will power. The culprit is that the system was flawed in the beginning.

Here is what usually happens when someone binges on a diet - see if any of this sounds familiar. You start dieting on a diet program with the greatest of intentions. For the first couple of weeks everything is fine. While you find yourself totally driven to reach your goal, some kind hearted person brings in a cake or cookies to work for everyone. Feeling that you are doing great on your diet, you figure what the hell, I can eat just one. Unfortunately, the first one tastes so good that you take another, and maybe even one more. That’s where the problem escalates. Now you are feeling guilty and berating yourself for having been so undisciplined, you seek out food to comfort yourself. And once again you feel that you failed.

Maybe the above example doesn’t describe you. Maybe you were going to a diet center, had an emotional support system in place, and were the picture perfect example of what to do. Now let’s say you stop going, and the weight you lost; you have now put back on. Even though I would be the first person to tell you that you are fully in control of your results, I would say that most of these systems have a fatal flaw about them.

Quick question; what is your favorite junk food? Great, now let me ask you this. If I had a magic wand and could give you the body of your dreams, but you could never have that piece of food again, would you accept this deal? Be honest. This is the fatal flaw. Fad dieting and diet centers coerce you to believe that if you just avoid certain foods you can lose weight and have a great body. That as long as you eat less food, you will tone up and get fit. I am going to have to burst that bubble for you. Dieting alone will let you lose weight, but it won’t be just fat. Along with the dreaded fat, you will also be losing coveted, calorie burning muscle.

Dieting is one leg in a tripod for health and wellness. The other two legs are cardiovascular training, and weight training. Like a tripod, if you knock out one or two legs, what happens to the whole thing? It crumbles. Not to mention, if you cut down calories to lose weight, what happens when the weight loss slows? Take in fewer calories? If you follow that approach, eventually you will reach a point that your body is starving. And guess what happens when your body starts starving? You lose even more muscle mass. In addition, it stores what ever food it can until it gets more food- as body fat. Not what we want is it?

Another flaw with the diet centers. They don’t equip you with the tools that allow you to go out and live your life without them. They know what they are doing and they don’t want you to think for yourselves. If you started to not be dependent on them they lose money. Their goal is to keep you as a life long customer. It is same as if you were to go to an auto mechanic to get your car fixed. They fixed enough to keep the car from making noise or running sluggishly, but knowingly did not fix everything in order to get you to come back, again and again. These centers know that exercise and good eating habits over a life time yield the best results. But ask yourself, from a business stand point. Would you make more money, giving people food for money, or teaching them how to work out, and eat right? This is my point exactly.

Life long health and wellness is the goal. Rather than becoming dependent on a flawed system, take the time and money, and invest back into yourself.

About the Author:

Matt MacLeod is a certified personal trainer and martial artist located in Atlanta, GA. His website is www.BodyDynamic.org