The Diet Industry Is a Lie - Part 1
The diet industry is currently worth an estimated $60,000,000 (£46.3b) annually. Millions of people buy into this industry every year in the hope of fat loss, improved body composition, a better physique and ultimately, improved health. Every year, instead of establishing an active lifestyle and sound nutritional habits, people look for the quick fix to produce the weight loss for them.
There isn’t one.
Many of the people who buy into this industry may suffer from the emotional or psychological effects of low self-esteem or poor body image. Others still may have various associated diseases; Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or joint pain. The ironic part is, this could have been avoided if people learned initially how to apply consistently sound nutrition principles, instead of continually buying into the diet industry fads and gimmicks that are churned-out, year after year.
Many people become perpetually dependent on the diet mentality and continually jump from one excessive fat-loss method to another, entirely unaware of why they lose weight here, only to gain weight there, only to look for the next pre-packaged diet plan or product.
In fact, statistics show that 80-90% of individuals will re-gain more weight following excessive dieting.
Countless people end up trapped in this vicious cycle; they lose weight but always regain the weight (and frequently more) post diet.
Though it's great that some people are making a conscious effort, sadly the truth is that they are virtually destined to fail.
What the Diet Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know
The Products Don’t Work – The scientific approach to healthy and sustainable fat loss is very clear cut: a healthy and sustained calorie deficit in relation to your body type, coupled with a consistently active lifestyle that encourages physical adaption and promotes the bodies ability to effectively burn fuel. Just because a product or diet is backed up with wishful marketing and extreme claims does not mean it’s possible or sustainable. A diet or product that causes you to lose 5-10 pounds in 1-2 weeks, but then regain that weight shortly after, did not ‘work’!
Failure Is Part of the Business Strategy – Let’s apply logic, if these diets or products actually did what they claim effectively, there wouldn’t be any return customers. Further to that, if any of these products were as effective as they claim, surely doctors would be prescribing these products, people would be losing weight in their millions and the obesity crisis would be resolved? Right? Here’s the truth: this doesn’t happen. Much of the diet industry is based entirely on failure and return custom.
There Is No Quick Fix – The human body is only capable of losing a finite amount of fat in any given time period. We simply didn’t evolve for ‘rapid’ or ‘extreme’ fat loss, and have numerous physiological defence mechanisms to protect us from doing so. This is a product of evolution. Any species that achieved ‘rapid fat loss’ due to an extreme caloric deficit wouldn’t have survived the winter when food was scarce. Consistent fat loss of 1-2lbs per week is entirely achievable! But this requires a sensible, methodical and consistent approach involving sound nutritional habits and physical activity to support your goals. This means it’s possible to lose 12-24lbs in 12 weeks depending on your approach – not 12-24lbs in two weeks by knocking back pills, potions, slimming shakes or undertaking ridiculously restricted diets that affect your health!
The ‘Illusion’ of Health Doesn’t Make a Product Healthy – The food industry is also guilty of this! Numerous diet trends over the years have advocated the subtraction of various ingredients and nutrients. In the last few decades we’ve gone through the spectrum of ‘low fat’, ‘low carb’ and ‘diet’ products. All of these foods are generally highly processed. Since the 2000’s, people began eating like cavemen, cutting out gluten, reducing sugar, etc. The reduction of processed sugar is never a bad thing. But a ‘Paleo’ cookie is still a cookie. A ‘gluten free’ cake is still a cake. ‘Diet’ fizzy drinks are still fizzy drinks. Substituting nutritious meals for slimming shakes or Aloe Vera Juice is still a con!
Fat loss is the product of a lifestyle that includes sound and consistent nutritional habits that nourish you and support an active lifestyle. Concentrate on your actions and habits, not the scales.
‘Diet’ simply refers the way you eat. If you eat healthily, you have a healthy diet. If you eat poorly, you have a poor diet. Your diet is your choice. How you choose to eat each day is up to you – it’s a matter of choice based on what you know and what you make available. If it’s not working, seek advice from a qualified Nutrition Coach.
