Fad diets promise quick weight loss
Every so often a new diet hits the market with promises of fast and easy weight loss. These diets become fads among people who are trying to get into shape quick.
Merlin Harker, owner of Shangri-La Health Foods, said publicity of these diets attracts people to them, but that isn’t always the case.
“A lot of times doctors get people involved,” Harker said. “People come in and say their doctor put them on the diet.”
Harker said some diets have gained popularity over others in Logan.
“Right now the zone diet is really popular,” Harker said. “The zone diet is where a person takes 40 percent of their calories as carbohydrates, 30 percent as fats and another 30 percent as protein.”
Harker said he likes the zone diet.
“I think it’s a great way to go,” Harker said. “You are covering all of the areas that you should, and tests have shown that it is excellent for maintaining insulin and sugar levels.”
There are also other products many people use to help them lose weight.
“The balance bars that go with the zone diet are very popular right now,” he said. “There are also meal replacement drinks and supplements such as Xenadrine and Hydroxycut that many people use to help fight their hunger and cravings.”
People who start fad diets don’t always stay with them.
“This all depends on how motivated and interested the people are,” he said. “They need to be ready in their mind to go through with the diet. It is all about mind and willpower.”
Harker said there is a good cross section of men and women who are currently dieting.
“The men are getting to be much more health conscious these days as well,” he said.
Increasingly younger men and women are getting involved in these types of diets because of the widespread obesity in younger people who have grown up eating hamburgers and shakes, Harker said.
“It is really sad to see so many overweight young people these days,” he said.
With such a wide market of consumers, one diet sometimes is not enough.
Eric Larsen, the assistant manager of General Nutrition Center (GNC), said the Body for Life Challenge has become very popular. It includes all EAS products as well as Myoplex.
“The Body for Life program consists of a 12-week program including authorized meals and exercise,” Larsen said. “Myoplex is a food supplement that is used a lot in the diet. The meal plan consists of five well-balanced meals each day and between 30 minutes to one hour workout four days a week.”
Larsen said there are no health risks with Body for Life because of the nature of the diet and the meals it includes.
He said the Body for Life diet has a wide range of practitioners because it not only burns fat but also increases muscle, which are things that both the young and old look for.
“The Body for Life Challenge started in the mid-90s with a book by Bill Phillips, outlining the diet and explaining what it is all about,” Larsen said. “The CEO of the company recently sold the company for a $5 billion profit. It may not have had an effect on the sales, but many people look at the profit and think that a program worth that much must work.”
Larsen said two of GNC’s best sellers are the Hydroxycut and Xenadrine fat burners that boost metabolism. Both have many warnings for people on medication for heart problems because as one’s metabolism increases so does the heart rate. So far, nobody has had problems with either of the fat burners.
“Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to sell them,” he said.
Larsen said Body for Life has a high percentage of people who stick with it because the only ones who give up are those who don’t commit to the dieting.
“Hydroxycut and Xenadrine hit it big about two and a half years ago while Body for Life has been a big seller for about five years running,” Larsen said. “It took a little bit to get going, but once it did it kept going.”