A recent national survey (107,804 adults) showed that only 20% of those attempting to lose weight were doing so by eating less and exercising more (JAMA, 1999). Apparently millions of Americans still embrace fad dieting, while a scientifically derived approach remains either unknown or unused.
The Time Has Come To Kill Fad Dieting
The 9 Truths about Weight Loss (May, 2000; Henry Holt – NYC) suggests a scientifically based approach to weight loss that stresses a new level of intensity and consistency of low-fat eating, exercising, and focusing.
For example:
- Truth #3. Weight control is a manageable athletic challenge.
- Truth #5. You can eat very little fat (20 fat grams or less; how low can you go?) and learn how to keep your hunger quiet.
- Truth #6. If you maintain a written record of your eating and exercising at least 75% of the time, you can manage the program successfully.
- Truth #7. Exercise every day is the way.
 Every principle in this book translates the science of weight control into a practical direction for lifelong change. It emphasizes the extreme consistency in low-fat eating, self-monitoring of eating and exercising, and daily exercising that it takes to succeed.
As the attached table about the author’s current case load indicates, it is an approach that really works. It has also met rigorous peer-reviewed standards in order to be published in scientific journals (e.g., International Journal of Obesity, 1992, pp. 505-517; Behavior Therapy, 1993, pp. 377-394; Obesity Research, 1994, pp. 220-229 & 1998, pp. 219-224; Health Psychology, 1998, pp. 367-370 & 1999, pp. 364-368).
"As millions of Americans waste their time, energy, and motivation on hopeless fads with no scientific credibility, hasn’t the time come to kill fad diets?"
Fad diets espouse pseudo-science and are almost always published by people with degrees in health fields, but with no history of scientific publications about weight control and without professorships at major universities. They advocate such absurd notions (from a scientific perspective) as eating high-fat diets and encouraging weight controllers to feel free to eat whatever “extras” they want as rewards (e.g., Atkins’ Diet Revolution; Sommers’ Eat Great, Lose Weight; Puhn’s Five-Day Miracle Diet; Hellers’ Carbohydrate Addicts’ Diet). As millions of Americans waste their time, energy, and motivation on hopeless fads with no scientific credibility, hasn’t the time come to kill fad diets?
Americans Can Find An Antidote To Fad Diets In Science
Americans can find an antidote to fad diets in science. Science develops facts and theories from carefully controlled observations. These observations are objective, measurable, public, and replicable. This knowledge is accumulated in articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Only people with a history of such publications (usually with professorships at universities) should qualify as experts.
Fifty years of science have taught us The 9 Truths about Weight Loss. By using this approach and by advocating it, you can help kill fad dieting.
About Dan Kirschenbaum, Ph.D
Go to About Dan Kirschenbaum.
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