BDA Press Centre
Beat the bulge this New Year
Too good to be true?
Many of us will be looking to lose a few pounds following the Christmas binge. However, according to the British Dietetic Association (BDA) we shouldn’t get tempted by the ever increasing range of “quick fix” and “miracle” options that make unrealistic weight loss promises with minimum effort.
Sometimes a novel approach to weight loss can be fun and motivating but if it is ineffective in helping you shed the pounds and keeping them off then, it’s a missed opportunity.
So how can you tell the dieting fact from the fiction?
Here are the BDA’s top tips to help you to spot a weight loss con!
You can tell it’s a con when:
- It promises a magic bullet to solve your weight problem without having to change your lifestyle in any way.
- It promises rapid weight loss of more than 2lbs of body fat a week.
- It recommends magical fat-burning effects of foods (such as the grapefruit diet) or hidden ingredients in foods (the coffee diet).
- It promotes the avoidance or severe limitation of an entire food group, such as dairy products or a staple food such as wheat (and suggests substituting them for expensive doses of vitamin and mineral supplements).
- It promotes eating mainly one type of food (e.g. cabbage soup, Mars bars or eggs) or avoiding all cooked foods ( the raw food diet).
- It recommends eating foods only in particular combinations based on your genetic type or blood group.
- It suggests being overweight is related to a food allergy or a yeast infection.
- It recommends “detoxing” or avoiding foods in certain combinations such as fruit with meals
- It offers no supporting evidence apart from a celebrity with a personal success story to tell.
- It sounds too good to be true –if so it probably is!
Registered dietitian and spokperson for the British Dietetic Association, Sue Baic says: “No one single approach to weight loss suits everybody. A range of things can be helpful from groups to meal replacements to online resources but you do need to be careful about what you select. It can be useful to be aware of misleading weight loss claims that can lead you into to wasting your time and your money.
“And, don't be fooled by the fact that many beautiful celebrities are following some of these weird and bizarre regimens. They are blessed with beauty genes, and usually have personal trainers, chefs and stylists rather than nutrition qualifications.”
Registered dietitians are experts in assessing the evidence for successful weight loss strategies and translating this into practical strategies and advice that gives lasting benefit. For advice on weight loss you can trust go to www.bdaweightwise.com
Ends
Notes to Editors
- Media enquiries to The British Dietetic Association should be directed to our media hotline on 0870 580 2517 or pr@bda.uk.com.
- The British Dietetic Association, founded in 1936, is the professional association for registered dietitians in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is the nation’s largest organisation of food and nutrition professionals with over 6,500 members. About two-thirds of members are employed in the National Health Service. The remaining members work in education, industry, research, sport settings or freelance.
- Registered dietitians hold the only legally-recognisable graduate qualification in nutrition and dietetics. They are experts in interpreting and translating the science of nutrition into practical ways of promoting nutritional well-being, disease treatment and the prevention of nutrition-related problems. Their advice is sound and based on current scientific evidence.
- Registration, awarded by the Health Professionals Council, is an indication that a dietitian is fit to practise and is working within an agreed statement of conduct.