What’s the Next Diet Craze?

No sooner are the headlines dying down that low-carb is dead and already the media is asking ‘what’s next’ in the line up as the leading fad-diet de jour!

Please tell me why the never-ending quest for a “quick-fix diet” is so prevalent in our society?

Never mind that going on a trendy diet usually results in a temporary weight-loss that rebounds with interest when you return to the eating habits that caused the weight gain; never mind that the science is clear that one must make a permanent change in their eating habits for the long-term to realize sustained weight management; and heck, never mind the inconvenient fact that there is no such thing as a “quick-fix” when it comes to losing weight.

I’ll tell you this – the media loves a good headline, especially when it can sensationalize and tantalize! Pay no mind to the fact that none of this speculating about the next big diet trend will help anyone lose weight and optimize their health for the long-term; the media has newspapers, magazines and advertising slots to sell.

Do you want to lose weight? If you do, you’re not going to find the solution in the headlines, so ignore the hype and look at the evidence to find what works.

Here are the cold hard facts:

• To lose weight and keep it off, you need to find a dietary approach you can live with for the rest of your life. Losing weight and successfully maintaining your weight-loss requires a permanent change in your eating habits.
• Low-fat diets, portion control diets, calorie-restricted diets and even low-carb and controlled-carb diets all work for losing weight. Each of these dietary approaches is supported by good scientific data that also clearly shows that a one-size-fits-all diet, one that will work effectively for everyone and anyone, simply does not exist.

With this in mind, your challenge is to find a dietary approach that will not only help you lose weight, but will also allow you to keep it off while enjoying good health for the long-term. After all, that is what matters at the end of the day, isn’t it?

The only diet you need is the one that will work for you. So while the media is speculating about what diet will make the best headlines in the future, you still are left searching for the diet that you can live with and love.

In our fast-paced frenzy we call life, it’s time to step back for a few moments and take stock of the big picture that is too often lost in the small, day-to-day details. We are in the midst of an obesity epidemic in the United States, one where two out of every three adults is overweight, with one of them obese. The solution to this crisis will not be found in any new weight-loss scheme, pill or potion.

In fact, here’s the kicker - we already know exactly how to reverse this health-damaging trend – it’s called “whole foods.” You might remember them, they’re found in the produce section, dairy case, meat & seafood counters and select aisles in your neighborhood grocery store. They’re also very easy to identify – they lack packaging, processing, chemicals and preservatives and they won’t keep on a shelf for years and years.

While it is certainly easier and less time consuming to pop a frozen dinner in the microwave or drive up to a window and have a meal handed to us in a bag that we can eat on the way home, such an approach usually has an unfortunate downside – weight gain, coupled all too often with declines in health. As I've written before in Cheap Food or Health - It's Your Choice, such convenience today may cost more in terms of health and healthcare costs later.

Not only that, but can you honestly say that you really savor such meals - you know, really enjoy them because they’re so tasty and well-prepared? I didn’t think so.

Here’s a plan you don’t have to pay for – eat real, whole foods that appeal to you following a dietary approach you can stick with for the long haul – low-fat, low-carb, controlled-carb, whatever you can make a permanent lifestyle - and I promise you, not only will you lose weight, but your body will also thank you!