Food Faddism

Hello Everyone!

How has been your day?

Trust it was wonderful!

The topic we shall take a look at is titled "FOOD FADDISM" also known as "FAD DIET".

Strange or Familiar?

Whichever!!!😃😃😃

I will urge you all to stay tuned and enjoy every bit of the article.

AN OVERVIEW ON FOOD FADDISM

Food Faddism is the dietary practice based upon an exaggerated belief in the effects of food or nutrition on health and disease.

It is the culture of sticking to just a kind of food. In many cases, the diet is characterized by highly restrictive or unusual food choices which can cause serious health problems. Imagine yourself having a child, and the only food he eats is cereals, maybe rice, morning, afternoon and night. Every Sunday to Saturday. It’s obvious he’ll lack the good nutrition. Really!

Food faddism which is economically wasteful, scientifically defective,  and a source of great distraction to nutritionists, physicians and health agencies working to promote better nutrition education, persists and grows.  We might inquire of ourselves how this can be at a time when scientific knowledge about nutrition is highly developed and current research is contributing additional knowledge daily.

In spite of that, food faddism persists, I believe, despite incontrovertible scientific evidence denying its validity, because food has emotional value rather than intellectual value to the average person, and the food faddists (people who adhere briefly to different diets) have capitalized upon the fact, appealing to the emotional drives of their believers rather than to their intellects. 

Fad diets are generally restrictive and are characterized by promises of fast weight loss or great physical health and which are not grounded in sound science. Many people just don’t want to be fat. I’m not validating obesity either, please don’t get me wrong.

A typical weight-loss fad diet requires 600 to 800 calories per day, compared to 2,000 or more for a healthy adult. 

The restrictive approach, regardless of whether the diet prescribes eating large amounts of high-fiber vegetable, no grains, or no solid foods, tend to be nutritionally defective, and can cause serious health problems if followed for more than a few days.  Fad diet tends to under-emphasize physical activities and tend not to provide followers with the skills and knowledge they need for long-term maintenance of their desired weight, even if that weight is achieved.  Some fad diets such as intending to be alternative cancer treatments, promise health benefits other than weight loss.  Teenagers following fad diets are at risk of permanently stunted growth. 

Diet Advice

The basic principles of good diets are so simple that I can summarize them in just twelve words : eat balanced-diet, eat less, move more, eat lots of fruits & vegetables.  For additional clarification a five-word modifier will help: go easy on junk foods.

Thanks for reading,

Do have a lovely day!

Article by : Iyiola Grace Omowumi

Food, Nutrients & Health.