What’s a girl to do? Besides going makeup free for the rest of your life,
gasp, there is another alternative. More and more cosmetic companies are
picking up the green trend and producing organic makeup. Places like
Sephora and even Target are carrying some of these environmentally
Fad Diets
friendly brands. If all else fails and you find the selection in stores
limited, we do live in the age of the Internet. Whatever you can’t find
in stores is pretty much always available somewhere in cyberspace.
The first obvious bonus to green cosmetics is that you won’t
Do They Really Work?
have to spend the money on a doctorate in chem-
istry in order to understand the label. The second,
More Harm than Good?
but equally important perk is no really scary
By Olivia Connelly
cancer causing chemicals in any amount. Thirdly,
“Lose ten pounds in ten days!” “Fit into your jeans by Friday!” “Drop two
the environment will thank you. It probably
dress sizes in two weeks!” These taglines are often used to entice the consumer
won’t send you a card or cook you dinner, but it
into trying a fad diet. These diets are labeled “fads” because they are seeming-
will thank you in its own way. To keep the green
ly innovative, new, and promise immediate results. Whether one is desperate
goodness going after you’ve finished with your
to lose five pounds or fifty pounds, these diets may seem appealing. However,
makeup, recycle the container.
what the taglines fail to inform the consumer of are the health risks of fad diet-
Like with regular cosmetics, when you
ing and the “rebound weight” that is typically a side effect of rapid weight loss.
are shopping for the green kind, be
Fad diets are designed around the elimination of nutrients, minerals, and
sure to check the label. Just be-
foods and incorporating one central food into one’s diet. The Special K Diet
cause it says organic on it, doesn’t
and the Atkin’s Diet are prime examples of this formula. The Special K diet
mean it is. What you want to look
promises weight loss in just two weeks. The key to this achievement is replac-
for is either “Ecocert” or USDA
ing two meals a day with the suggested serving of Special K. In addition, the
Organic. Ecocert is an organic
diet also recommends replacing snacks and water with Special K Protein Bars
certification organization. They were
and Special K Water. The Atkin’s Diet requires the dieter to eliminate carbohy-
founded in France in the early 90’s
drates from his or her food intake. Initially, the dieter may comply by remov-
and conduct testing in over 80 coun-
ing bread or pasta from meals. However, what the dieter may not understand is
tries. The USDA is our very own
the number of foods that contain carbohydrates. To truly remove carbohydrates
United States Department of Agricul-
one must eliminate the consumption of various foods from fruits, to vegetables,
ture. It will only give an organic
to chewing gum. In addition to a reduction of carbohydrate intake, the Atkin’s
certification to products that meet
Diet encourages an increase in protein consumption. This imbalance in nutri-
its standards. As with anything
ents can result in many dangerous side effects.
there are certain allowances,
For both of these diets, the initial weight loss is rapid and many then
but it is still far less than
consider the diets a success. The flaw in the plan is a failure to provide a plan
that of non-certified organic
for the maintenance of weight loss. Fad diets are not meant to be utilized as a
products.
lifestyle change. Fad diets are designed to deprive the body of nutrients for a
If you are one of the many
time period and result in weight loss. This weight loss is not necessarily the
people doing your part to help the
loss of fat but is the loss of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, water, fat, and muscle.
environment by recycling or driving
When a person diets properly and exercises to lose weight, he will lose fat and
a green certified car, don’t stop there.
muscle tissue in three to one ratio. Simply put, the average person will lose
Everything you eat or put on your body
seventy-five percent fat and twenty-five percent muscle. However, when a
has an effect on you and in some way on your
person uses a fad diet, they are not maintaining the muscle with exercise and do
environment. If we all go just a little farther in
not maintain the proper nutrient balance. Therefore the ratio of fat to muscle
our quest for a green planet, maybe we can change
loss is disrupted. Many people on fad diets lose water weight initially, and as
the way manufacturers see our world and realize it is
a result lose muscle mass, which is seventy-five percent water, as opposed to
theirs too. Perhaps by taking a million baby steps we can
burning fat which is only fifty percent water. The result is an unhealthy yet thin
increase the demand for green products by such a degree,
individual. This phenomenon is so common that it is referred to as “skinny fat.”
that suppliers will have no choice but to comply or get out of the way of those who
A person may appear to be thin, but she is weak and has no muscle tone. These
will. It seems like such a little thing, but all really big things are built on foundations
fad diets spark a chain reaction in the body that may have long term damaging
effects.
The first and most obvious impact of fad diets is rebound weight. Again,
fad diets are not a lifestyle change. They are commonly advertised as such, but
under closer examination, one cannot maintain the diet and also be physically
healthy. Even diets such as the “Eat Clean Diet” and the “Flat Belly Diet” that
promise a lifestyle change, do not account for an average person’s accessibility
to various foods and an average person’s lifestyle. As a result, once the dieter
has achieved his or her weight loss goal and ceases participation in the diet, he
or she will inevitably gain weight. This rebound weight is comprised of primar-
ily fat, not muscle, resulting in a loss of muscle density.
A second impact on the body is the imbalance of the nutrients and vitamins
in the body. The body seeks to maintain homeostasis. The body maintains a
natural balance in nutrients, vitamins, water, and muscle levels. The fad diets
often require a combination of deprivation and overload of foods; a paradox
that causes dangerous side effects. Dieters who try the Atkin’s Diet report an
increase in cholesterol levels and are at a higher risk for heart disease. Addi-
tionally, major organs such as the brain, kidneys, heart, and liver need carbo-
hydrates to function. Diets that require an intake of one specific food such as
the Cabbage Soup Diet and the Grapefruit Diet simply limit the caloric intake
in a day. In addition to loss of nutrients, dieters experience feelings of weak-
ness, lightheadedness, and overall fatigue. Ultimately, the body was designed
to survive. By divesting the body of a balanced diet, one forces the body to
reestablish equilibrium in any way it can.
There is no easy way to lose weight easily. The approach to weight loss is
made up of a lot of little things.
not one dimensional. In order to lose weight effectively and maintain the loss,
So go ahead, bring green into your life like black is in your wardrobe. It won’t
a person must not only increase exercise and reduce food intake, but he must
slim your waist the same way, but your body will be happier for it. And perhaps
also change the way he views food. In order to successfully lose weight and
you can be one of those little things that helps facilitate the change that our planet so
maintain weight loss the process should be methodical and paced.
desperately needs.
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