Truth About FAD Diets and Weight Loss Pills

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Introduction
FAD diets and weight loss pills promise fast weight loss. Although that sounds great these methods are the wrong choice: results are only short term, are extremely harmful to a person’s long-term health, and can ultimately cause more weight gain. The United States has been so focused with the seemingly “fast results” of diet pills and FAD diets that they don't even seem to care about the trauma they are causing inside (and outside) their bodies.
Short Term Results, Does It Even Work?
According to Hugo, Kataura and Block (2011) in order to achieve long-term goals of weight loss there are three major stages that a person goes through. The first being a beginning, or initial stage that usually lasts four to six weeks, next comes improvement lasting anywhere from twelve to twenty weeks, and finally maintenance and conditioning which could last six or more months. Results don't come easy or without dedication and hard work. “Anyone who promises weight loss without a healthy diet and exercise program is a con artist or quack,” as stated by Shick (2013). The higher a person’s outcome expectations leads to higher motivation. Expecting too much or having an unrealistic, unattainable goal can discourage people on the journey of losing weight causing them to give up early (Hugo, Katura, Block, 2011).
So why are people so obsessed with fast results, trying every weight loss technique suggested to them even if its not “backed up” by any evidence of working? ”The most popular[diet] strategies were eating less, exercising more, eating less fat and switching to lower-calorie foods. People who used commercial weight-loss programs and prescription weight-loss pills also saw success, but only a small portion of the study participant...

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.../www.uaex.edu/depts/FCS/EFNEP/Lessons
Hongu, N., Kataura, M. P., & Block, L. M. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.joe.org/joe/2011february/tt5.php
Killoran, E. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pritikin.com/your-health/healthy-living/eating-right/391-diet-fads-a-magic-pills.html
Majka, A. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.joe.org/joe/2011april/rb7.php
Worthy, S., Lokken, K., Pilcher, K., & Boeka, A. (2010). Demographic and lifestyle variables associated with obesity. SAGE Publications, 69(4), 372-380. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?q="FAD diets"&id=EJ907699
Sifferlin, A. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/04/10/for-successful-weight-loss-forget-fad-diets-and-pills/
Weight Gain After Using Diet Pills. (2011, July 6). LIVESTRONG.COM. Retrieved March 3, 2014, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/486510-weight-gain-after-using-diet-pills/

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