The Hunger Games

Mainstream Media Has Us Feeding Into Fad Diet Lies That Could Be Counter- Productive To Good Health.

- Taryn Das Neves

You’ve probably dabbled in a few diet trends over the years, looking to shed some winter weight or get rid of festive period indulgences. You’ve cut the carbs and climbed on the Banting wagon; hunted and gathered like your ancient Palaeolithic family; juiced and cleansed, and maybe even injected! Fad dieting is nothing new to the modern woman, but it could be quite detrimental to your health and goal weight aspirations.

Niki Urquhart, a dietician at Kloof Road Medical Centre in Joburg, says, ‘The art of wishful shrinking has made a lot of people rich, but left most of the dieters the same or bigger than they were before.’

In a society where needs are met and indulged almost instantaneously, it’s difficult to change gears and not expect the same when it comes to weight loss. Everyone wants to be slender and healthy, and we all want it yesterday. But most people are reluctant to put in the time and effort needed to transform eating and exercise habits so that the weight they’d like to be is not just a fleeting moment in time, but rather a change for the good,and something that remains constant. ‘The point is to move towards your goal weight, stay on that weight, and live a balanced and healthy lifestyle,’ explains Niki.