Take the Diet Quiz:
Exploding Myths in Weight Loss
Weight management is a growing concern in this country. Six out of every 10 Americans overweight or obese. At any given time, millions of people are trying to lose weight. Each year, billions of dollars are spent on weight-loss products and services, from diet books to shoe inserts. Learn more about diets and weight loss by taking this quiz, based on information from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What percentage of weight-loss ads contains false or unsupported claims?
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According to the FTC, many of these claims suggest that you can lose weight without cutting back on calories or exercising more. To lose one pound of weight, you need to eat 3,500 fewer calories or burn 3,500 additional calories. Drugs may make this easier to do, but the calorie cutback must occur. The FTC says that no over-the-counter (OTC) drug, dietary supplement, cream, wrap, device, or patch can cause you to lose weight without also cutting back on calories or exercising more. Prescription drugs can block the absorption of fat or interfere with the breakdown of carbohydrates, but these are used under a doctor's care. They may cause side effects that include diarrhea, cramping, bloating, and gas.
The Atkins diet is a popular weight-loss plan. What concerns nutritionists about this diet?
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In the Atkins diet, you eat a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diet. People like this diet because they get to eat "forbidden" high-fat foods, such as bacon cheeseburgers, steak, cheese omelets, and butter. But by limiting fruits and vegetables, you may not get the vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients you need. Over the long-term, this diet may increase your risk for heart disease and cancer, because of the emphasis on saturated fat. No long-term studies have been done to determine whether this diet is safe. Short-term studies have shown that people on this diet lose more in the first six months than with a conventional low-fat diet. At the end of a year, however, the number of pounds lost on the Atkins diet is about the same as with a conventional diet.
Another popular meal plan is the South Beach diet. What concerns nutritionists about this diet?
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Over the long-term, this diet may increase your risk for heart disease and cancer. The South Beach diet rates carbohydrates by how quickly they are digested and how they affect the level of glucose in the blood. This rating system is called the glycemic index. Refined carbohydrates like white bread, white rice, and pasta get a bad rating on the glycemic index scale. Unlike the Atkins diet, which bans most carbohydrates, the South Beach diet allows complex carbohydrates like brown rice and whole grains. Most of the early weight loss on this diet is in the form of water and lean muscle mass, not fat, says the NIDDK. People often get bored with high-protein/low-carb diets because they crave the carbohydrates they aren't allowed to eat. Another variation is the Zone diet. On this relatively protein-heavy plan, you consume carbohydrates, protein, and fat in a ratio of 40/30/30 in specific serving sizes called "blocks." Although this diet is more moderate than others, it can be difficult or confusing to keep track of the carbohydrates, protein, and fat you are eating. Nutritionists say this diet can help you lose weight because it restricts calories, but it's complicated.
If you follow a low-fat diet, you don't have to watch your portions of which of these foods?
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Low-fat or nonfat foods, particularly snack foods, may still have plenty of calories, the NIDDK says. These foods often have extra sugar or other ingredients added to make them taste better. Sugar, extra flour, and thickeners all have calories, which can add up if the foods are eaten in excess. The number of calories in a food depends on the amount of carbohydrate, protein, and fat it contains. Carbohydrate and protein have about 4 calories per gram, and fat has more than twice that amount, at 9 calories per gram. Good alternatives for snacking are fruits and vegetables, most of which are naturally low in fat and calories.
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