Which One Of These Plans Would Not be Considered A “Fad” Diet?
-eating only grapefruit
-only eating raw foods
-only eating muffins
The answer is “only eating raw foods.” While the other two diets are restrictive, they follow a pattern that could become a long-term diet. A fad diet is a strictly short-term practice followed by many people at one time and then eventually falls out of favor as tastes change.
Raw foodism is not necessarily bad, but it would not be considered a fad because it would not fall out of favor quickly. In addition, some research has been done on the benefits of increased fruit and vegetable consumption, so this type of dietary plan might have been started as an experiment to see what those effects would be.
This means it would be less likely to be a fad and more likely an experiment that turned into a long-term diet.
Which group is most often affected by obesity:
a) All groups are about the same.
b) Women.
c) Men.
d) Whites.
Answer: All groups are about the same.
Obesity is most common among persons who fall between normal and underweight on the BMI scale, including all racial/ethnic, age, and sex groups <ref> National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults-The Evidence Report. Bethesda, MD: NIH; 1998. </ref>. It is important to note that obesity cuts across all socioeconomic boundaries; however, some groups may be more likely to be obese than others (see table below).
The World Health Organisation has warned that global obesity has reached epidemic proportions, severely affecting women.
Intense fear of gaining weight often do not eat enough food or eat almost nothing:
Anorexia nervosa.
People with anorexia have a distorted body image. They fear gaining weight, even though they are underweight. Still, people with bulimia have average or above-average body weight yet feel out of control regarding eating behavior <ref> National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Anorexia Nervosa Treatment.
US Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed February 1 2008</ref>. The key symptom for schizophrenia is psychosis – which does not help answer this question! However, some suggest that similar abnormalities in brain structure may be seen in both schizophrenia and eating disorders.
a) characteristic of most fad diets include:
a) Cutting out a specific food.
b) Only eating one kind of food.
c) Replacing meals with a liquid diet.
d) All of the above.
All of the above. Fad diets are often extreme, short-term weight loss programs that provide dramatic but temporary results <ref> National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Weight Management: The Big Picture.
US Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed February 1 2008</ref>. Most fad diets cut out entire food groups or require excessive willpower to be followed. They are not recommended as they are often nutritionally unbalanced, difficult to follow or pose health risks.
This disease causes thickening of the heart muscle, often resulting in abnormal heart rhythms and death.
Intermittent claudication.
Intermittent claudication is a common symptom for peripheral arterial disease <ref> National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Claudication: A Common Symptom of Peripheral Arterial Disease.
US Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed February 1 2008</ref>. The most serious complication associated with intermittent claudication is myocardial infarction – which is not impacted by exercise! In addition to intermittent claudication, peripheral arterial disease can also cause abdominal pain, erectile dysfunction, stroke, back pain, or ulcers.
A disease characterized by the loss of muscle mass and strength:
Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder caused by a mutation in the gene which codes for dystrophin, a protein needed for proper muscle function <ref> National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Information Page on Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy.
US Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed February 1 2008</ref>. There is no cure for DMD, but treatment options include steroids, physical therapy, orthopedic appliances, respiratory therapy, and surgery <ref> National Institutes of Health. The Clinical Dietitian’s Role in Maintaining Muscle Mass.