It has always been said that smoking is the number one cause of death in America. Recently, obesity overtook smoking as the number one killer in America. Obesity is becoming a bigger problem now as many fad diets are becoming increasingly popular. Diets such as the “The Zone,” the “Atkins Diet,” and “the sugar-buster” are some of the popular diets present nowadays. Some other diets that were popular several years ago include the cabbage soup diet, the low-fat diet, and the grapefruit diet. Basically, fad diets are popular only temporarily. Because they are short-lived, there is a perception that all fad diets are unhealthy.

The concept of dieting is not difficult to understand. A sedentary man usually needs about 2000 calories to maintain his weight. A woman might need 1500 calories to maintain her weight. It is generally agreed that an over-consumption of 3500 calories over any time interval will result in a gain of one pound of fat, and that consumption of less than 3500 calories will result in the loss of one pound of fat [1]. To lose weight, the person’s total calorie intake needs to be lower than the total energy used for a period of time. Fad diets usually call for reduced calorie intake.

Unfortunately, to eat for the purpose of losing weight is not as easy as it sounds, especially in a country like the United States. “Obesity has risen to 33 percent of the population, up from 25 percent in the 1980s. This makes the lure of quick and easy weight loss schemes hard to resist” [2]. Although many dollars have been spent on dieting, obesity in America is not going away. The dieting companies are a growing industry, which might suggest that diets proposed by such companies are worthless.

One type of diet, the Atkins diet, allows a person to eat high-saturated-fat and cholesterol-laden foods like meat, eggs, and butter. However, he or she must avoid fresh fruits, grains, and starchy vegetables [3]. There are many testimonies claiming that people on high-protein diets have lost immense amounts of weight. In one study, Atkins diet participants lost significantly more weight than conventional diet participants at conclusion of three months and six months [3]. This study shows that Atkins diet is effective; if it is followed religiously, the dieter will likely see results.

Another diet, called “The Zone,” calls for a strict carbohydrate to protein ratio. It allows for complex carbohydrates. One drawback is that this diet requires strict discipline. One user of the Zone Diet swears by it, saying, “When I’m on it there are no mid-afternoon sleepy periods … I feel stronger. I can concentrate for longer periods of time” [4]. As long as the diet’s plan is sensible and reasonable, it can be beneficial in helping someone lose weight and maintain an individual’s health. Although the Zone diet may be a little strict, its rigorousness helps and encourages the dieter to continue to live a healthy lifestyle.

To lose weight, diets alone do not really help. Normally, diets usually do not work because the dieter simply reduces his/her calorie intake. While this may help an individual to lose weight, it also slows the person’s metabolism [5]. To maintain one’s metabolism, it is vital to keep exercising. The reason why people have a negative perception of fad diets is because they lack the discipline to follow it. Critics of fad diets says that if the dieter strays from that certain diet, he/she is very likely to gain, as one woman on a fad diet said, “I lose 10 pounds and gain back 15,” [4]. However, that is the same for any diet. Whether the person is following a doctor’s diet or a fad diet, if he/she strays from it, failure to lose weight will be the outcome.