Dieting Is The Main Cause Of Eaten Disorder
By Finaz Daniel

Bandar Seri Begawan - Consumers are constantly on the lookout for a 'magic diet' that can help them lose weight quickly and effortlessly, said Rozanna M Rosly, a dietician at the Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC).

The dietician presented a lecture entitled `Fad diets - What is the benefit reality?' to some 30 individuals yesterday morning on the nature of diets and the health risks involved during the British Community Link (BCL) Coffee Plus meeting held at the orchid Garden Hotel.

According to Rozanna, the most common behaviour that leads to eating disorders is dieting. She backed this statement with reports stating that 35 per cent of `normal dieters' progress to pathological dieting' and out of these 20 to 25 per cent progress to partial or syndrome eating disorders.

Some succeed in reducing the weight off, however, far fewer (around five per cent) manage to keep the weight under check long term, Rozanna said. This fact does not decrease the production of diet products however, with US$30 billion a year spent on pills, drinks and weight loss programmes in America.

The trend of fad diets is a popular one that people follow on the basis of popularity and word of mouth. These quick fix approaches to weight' loss are seldom successful in the long term and tend to over promise results but don't deliver.

The motivation to continue wears off as the novelty of the product diminishes due to monotonous food choices and restrictive caloric intake.

The assembly listened with rapt attention as Rozanna proceeded to list out some fad diets and the health risks associated with these diets.

Some fad diets allow a very limited selection of foods which must be eaten at a specific time and day. According to the dietician, these limited diets do not suit the taste preference of a diverse Asian or Western population.

Other diets require the consumption of large quantities of any one food or type of food such as grapefruit or cabbage which can lead to intestinal gas, bloating, bad breath as well as nutritional imbalances.

These diets can inflict more harm with sudden weight loss which can be dangerous over a long period of time. They also contain no health warnings which could have a serious impact on individuals with chronic diseases as those with diabetes or hypertension require medical advice before going on the diet.

Harmful risks can also occur to those who use diets with no increased physical activity. To lose or maintain weight loss, physical activity needs to be an important part of a diet plan.

Rozanna also pointed out that "doctors require diet plans that are evidence-based" and some diet plans often have no published scientific studies to support the claims. The best example is the Dr Atkins Diet Revolution.

Some diet plans, such as Dr Sear's Enter the Zone Diet, also rely on unproven claims based on case histories, testimonials and uncontrolled studies that are not published in peer-reviewed journals and "people usually believe in these claims".

The JPMC dietician reported a study of four popular fad diets made at Tufts University in America whereby the participants claim that the diet is easy to follow but cannot adhere to it. A third of the participants dropped out of the Zone diet and about half could not even complete the Atkins diet.

The study further noted that while initial weight loss may be high, the participants had only lost about five per cent of body weight after one year.

Rozanna went on to say that no foods can reverse the effect of overeating nor can it "melt fat away" without exercising. She said four components are important for effective weight control - sensible dieting, regular exercise, positive thinking and behaviour modification. She urged the assembly to set realistic goals and not to be overwhelmed by tremendous amount of weight to lose. "Take it one step at a time," she advised, adding that they should start by breaking into smaller, more achievable short-term goals.

"Loving your body is important," said Rozanna. "You must diet for yourself."-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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