Diet trends! The most popular diets

Posted on

28 July 2014

| Last updated on 19 April 2017

Which Popular Diet is Right for You?

Obesity rates are skyrocketing around the globe, and World Health Organization officials are calling it perhaps the greatest health issue of the new century. It is with cruel irony that humankind has made such serious inroads with reducing starvation and improving food security at the same time as many of us are growing unhealthily fat.

Improvements in agricultural technology and more efficient markets mean that we can deliver more calories more cheaply to more people. Furthermore, there is a large amount of evidence from evolutionary biology that we are wired to take on as many calories as we can – given that throughout most of human history our biggest health problem has been malnutrition and starvation.

Although varying food intake for health and vanity is nothing new, the current health crisis makes the necessity of a healthy diet more important than ever. Of course there’s a glut of information various diets, and the weight loss sector is a multibillion dollar industry – so for your convenience, we’ve summarized the pros and cons of a few of the most popular here.

Vegetarian / Vegan

There are infinite variations of the vegetarian diet, but in general, these diets can be summarized as: not eating animals. Vegetarian diets are generally good for increasing fiber levels (which are almost always too low in most modern diets), and reducing cholesterol levels (which may not matter).

Problems can arise with getting enough protein, and enough varieties of protein. Also, it is much more difficult to feel satiated if one doesn’t eat meat, so some vegetarians may actually report weight gains after filling up on starchy foods like bread and pasta.

Atkins Diet

This one went out of fashion after it was reported that Dr. Atkins had suffered numerous heart attacks and died overweight (though not of a heart attack, as is often erroneously reported). The Atkins diet can be summarized as a low-carbohydrate diet, but adherents are permitted virtually unlimited proteins and fats. Devotees of the Atkins are known to binge on bacon with impunity!

Like many diets, this one will deliver short term weight loss. The problem is with long-term sustainability. Getting off the diet often leads to bloating and high cholesterol, and Atkins dieters will often suffer from halitosis.

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South Beach diet

South Beach Diet

Created (and patented) by a pair of cardiologists, the South Beach Diet evokes the sexiness of Miami Beach and its tanned toned bodies. Although it’s often mentioned in comparison to Atkins, South Beach does not call for cutting all carbs and fats, rather being more savvy about which types are ingested. In short, avoid sugars and simple carbohydrates and saturated fats.

Cleanse

Short term diets, also known as cleanses, have become extremely popular in recent years. Dieters are prescribed juice, tea, or water with cayenne pepper for a few days, and dramatic weight loss is inevitably recorded. If abused, these are nothing more than dangerous crash diets; it is also debatable as to what the long term effects will be. However devotees report improved energy and well being after following a cleanse.

Paleo

This diet claims to follow the eating patterns of our pre-agricultural ancestors, with the idea being that our bodies have not evolved to eat grains or other products of the “Neolithic Revolution.” The large increase in diagnosis of Celiac disease provides some evidence to support this. Paleolithic dieting may include aspects such as intermittent fasting – mimicking the feast or famine diets of our predecessors. Like many dieters, Paleos tend to take to it with the zeal of a convert, much to the annoyance of their friends!