Health and Fitness Reality Check

Going on a "Diet" doesn't work and is unhealthy.

I believe that "Diets" don't actually work, and if they do, the person doing the diet most likely had strong will power, or once they got to their goal weight, began regaining the weight and had to start all over. However, note that my opinion is probably slightly biased. Being a girl in a society where being skinny, having thigh gaps and a good overall appearance, continues to be a struggle for most young women all over the world. The media makes it seem as if models are what women should be aiming to look like, and that the only way to achieve looking like a model is to diet and exercise. Just to be sure, dieting is defined by Merriam Webster as "a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one's weight." Dieting implies that one must RESTRICT oneself from certain foods in order to lose weight. Though not a very reliable source, Urban Dictionary describes a diet as a "four-letter word that often leads to deprivation, frustration and, ultimately, failure," which essentially explains how I feel about diets - I don't think they work.

Dieting can do more harm than good. As a result of the constant weight loss and gain from dieting, "the risk of death from heart disease, including heart attacks, and the risk of premature death in general [becomes doubled]". This puts dieters at higher risk than they were before. It was also found that dieters  "end up weighing more than they did to begin with."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-447651/Diets-damage-health-shows-biggest-study.html

Dieting can be extremely dangerous for athletes, as well. The website below lists the problems associated with diets, referring mainly to low-carb and high-protein diets. These types of diets "are extremely popular because of the quick water-weight loss that occurs at the start of the diet." However, after losing the water weight, dieters are faced with a myriad of problems ranging from increased risk of kidney and heart disease to mood changes and depression.

Read more on FamilyEducation: http://life.familyeducation.com/nutrition-and-diet/weight/35884.html#ixzz310ZTm8v9

On the contrary, diets work for some people, and they had a positive outcome from dieting. Suzanne Gerber says, "when it comes to self-discipline, [she's] no paragon of virtue. But thanks to [her] teacher’s directive and a clear understanding of cheating’s cost, [she] was able to stay on course." There are some people like Gerber that are able to stay focused on their goals enough to complete the diet and have minimal side effects. 

Read more:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2013/11/19/why-diets-dont-work-and-what-to-do-instead/

After researching, I still believe that dieting is really unhealthy and does not work. Though there are cases in which people have "survived" a diet, I still don't think it's worth risking a whole line up of diseases and side effects. I think a better alternative would be to CHANGE your diet instead of GOING ON a diet. Simply incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet, eating food in moderation, and drinking more water can make a substantial difference, and it's a lot healthier than depriving yourself. By changing your diet, not only will you get the benefit of an actual diet by losing the weight, but you will also avoid the list of health issues that can arise from dieting. You might even help prevent those health issues from happening just by making healthier choices with the food you eat.