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Molly Armentrout

Prof. Sobocinski

English Composition 1201

11 March 2020

What dieting fad is supposedly the healthiest?

The world we live in today has become obsessed with living the ideal lifestyle and eating

the ideal diet. This has given rise to many fad diets which may or may not actually be healthy for

those following them. Looking deeper into diets like: vegetarian, vegan, keto, Atkins diet,

Mediterranean diet, paleo, Asian diet , low-carb diet, the dukan diet, and low-fat diets. What, if

any, of these dieting fads are supposedly the healthiest?

There is no specific thing that can be labeled as the “perfect” diet, or one that will work

for all people. Eating a healthy balanced diet is the most important factor in living a healthier

lifestyle. Health and longevity are the major goals of modern society, particularly through

adoption of optimal nutrition (“Optimal Nutrition for Health and Longevity”)(Mancini). What

may work for one person will not always work for another. This is a pitfall of the research

surrounding dieting; authors on different sides of the debate pull from an emotional viewpoint

and then unconsciously find evidence to support their position while ignoring contradicting

evidence (“Not Everyone Benefits from a Vegetarian Diet”)(D’Amico).

This is what fuels the debate behind what diet is the healthiest. One may argue that it is a

low-carb diet that will give the best results reducing appetite and risk factors, such as cholesterol

levels, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. Another may argue in favor of a low-fat diet and

promise weight loss, significant improvements in type 2 diabetes, and a decreased risk of heart

disease (“9 Popular Weight Loss Diets Reviewed”)(Bjarnadottir). These disagreements and trial
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and errors are what make the question so full of layers and lead to other questions. Maybe a fad

diet isn’t the answer, but then is increasing fruit and vegetable intake and lean protein the

answer?

Along with fad diets and change in lifestyle a “newer” diet has emerged: fasting. Fasting

comes in many forms, alternate day fasting, intermittent fasting, and fasting. Studies are being

conducted on rats, mice, and humans to calculate the impact fasting has on their health. Calorie

restriction has been found to increase longevity of life, lower IGF1 levels which control a growth

hormone in the body increasing length of life. Fasting can help with weight loss and can help

lower the risk of certain diseases and cancers (“Eat, Fast, and Live Longer”).

More research is still being conducted and more trials are being done. It is hard to decide

if one diet is the answer in living a healthier lifestyle, or if a different change of habit is what it

takes to improve overall health. It could very well be that a mix of diets like the Mediterranean

and Asian along with a form of fasting could be healthiest long term. However, it is always what

is best for every individual as it is not healthy for people like pregnant women or underweight

people to restrict calories. For now there is no solid answer to the proposed question. To truly

understand the risks and benefits of each diet more research needs to be conducted.

Bibliography
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Bjarnadottir, Adda. “9 Popular Weight Loss Diets Reviewed.” Healthline, Healthline

Media, 3 Jan. 2019, www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-weight-loss-diets-reviewed.

Accessed 17 Mar. 2020.

D’Amico, Sandro. Not Everyone Benefits from a Vegetarian Diet. 2015. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=edsgov&AN=edsgcl.EJ3010705256&site=eds-live. Accessed 17 Mar.

2020.

Dickson-Spillmann M, and Siegrist M. “Consumers’ Knowledge of Healthy Diets and Its

Correlation with Dietary Behaviour.” Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, vol. 24,

no. 1, Feb. 2011, pp. 54–60. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/j.1365-277X.2010.01124.x.

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=134112608&site=eds-live.

Accessed 17 Mar. 2020.

“Eat, Fast, and Live Longer.” Films Media Group, 2012,

digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=19259&xtid=57479. Accessed 17 Mar. 2020.

Mancini, Mario, et al. “Complex Dietary Patterns (Mediterranean Diet, Vegetarian/Vegan

Dietary Models): Impact on Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism.” Nutritional &

Metabolic Bases of Cardiovascular Disease, Jan. 2011, p. 119. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=74949840&site=eds-live.

Accessed 17 Mar. 2020.