Nutritionists warn against fad diets

WITH the excesses of Christmas almost over, Safefood is advising those who want to lose the extra pounds not to turn to quick-fix fad diets.

Safefood pointed to the latest survey by the Survey on Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition which found that more than a third (34%) of women and almost a quarter (23%) of men in Ireland were trying to lose weight.

Dr Marian Faughnan, a nutritionist with Safefood, said: “After the Christmas cheer and with the beginning of the new year, many people are considering weight loss plans, but often resort to fad diets which are just that – fads. While many people who try these diets may initially lose some weight, all too often they end up putting the weight back on and enter a yo-yo dieting cycle. In reality, there’s no quick fix for losing weight and these fad diets can be very restrictive.”