January Wellness NewsTopics for Journalists, Writers, Educators and Bloggers

Current News, Resources and Events in Nutrition, Food, Health, Environment, Safety, and Disability Rights. Encourages awareness and inspires ideas for Journalists, Educators, Consumers and Health Professionals. Wellness News is updated daily. To view the entire Newsletter online click here.

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January Food Events

January Highlights

National Birth Defects Month National Poverty in America Awareness Month National Mentoring Month National Folic Acid Awareness Week Healthy Weight Week Rid the World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day

Rid the World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks

Fad Diets

Fad diets usually refer to unconventional eating patterns promoting short-term weight loss, usually with no concern for long-term weight control. These diets become quickly popular and just as quickly lose appeal. Fad diets generally disregard or refute what is known about the basic association between dietary patterns and human health. Extreme fad diets may lack energy, protein, vitamins and minerals essential for growing children.

How to Spot a Fad Diet
Does the food plan make any of the following Claims or Statements?
1. Recommends a quick fix solution.
2. Sounds too good to be true.
3. Recommendations based on a single study.
4. Recommendations that ignore the differences between people.
5. Requires you buy a product or the program will not work.
6. Eliminates one or more of the food groups.
7. Draws simple conclusions from a complex study.
8. Dramatic results questioned by established scientific communities (Academy DA, AMA, NIH, etc..)

HCG: Dangerous to Dieters

This is an Example of a Fad Diet and it can Kill You!
The Tapeworm Diet

Resources

1. Staying Away from Fad Diets, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

2. Green Mountain at Fox Run,  Healthy Weight Week

Rid the World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day January 18, 2011

Fad diets usually refer to unconventional eating patterns promoting short-term weight loss, usually with no concern for long-term weight control. These diets become quickly popular and just as quickly lose appeal. Fad diets generally disregard or refute what is known about the basic association between dietary patterns and human health. Extreme fad diets may lack energy, protein, vitamins and minerals essential for growing children.

How to Spot a Fad Diet

Does the food plan make any of the following Claims or Statements?
1. Recommends a quick fix solution.
2. Sounds too good to be true.
3. Recommendations based on a single study.
4. Recommendations that ignore the differences between people.
5. Requires you buy a product or the program will not work.
6. Eliminates one or more of the food groups.
7. Draws simple conclusions from a complex study.
8. Dramatic results questioned by established scientific communities (ADA, AMA, NIH, etc..)

This is an Example of a Fad Diet and it can Kill You!
The Tapeworm Diet 

Hollywood's Craziest Diets

These recommendations are NOT FAD DIETS.
The books represent healthy food plans and lifelong strategies to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

The Small Change Diet: 10 Steps to a Thinner, Healthier You