The number of diets offered nowadays is innumerable and what’s more, many people often say they have tried all the diets under the sun but still haven’t lost weight.
As such, this begs the question – is dieting worth it? The answer it seems is yes and no. In other words, dieting does work, but it won’t unless it is combined with other things.
It appears that while cutting down on the calories is important, it is also equally important, if not more so, to ensure that the individual has some form of exercise regime. Doing so ensures that fat is broken down, which in turn reduces weight.
However, research also appears to show that the type of diet is also important and that it should relate to the person. Not to do so can create other medical problems, such as loss of vital vitamins and minerals.
Speaking with reporters a fitness expert said: “The real weight secret of losing weight is the combination of healthy diet and regular exercise.
However, while the fitness expert is correct to point out the real secret to losing weight, a number of experts are worried about the effects of TV programmes that have been aired across the globe. According to obesity experts, while TV programmes that highlight obesity are useful, simply emulating what the participants do can be dangerous for the average viewer.
In a recent interview one Australian doctor, Brian Morton from the New South Wales Medical Association said: “If participants are really high-risk — if they’re overweight, they’ve been a smoker or their family history isn’t really good – then they’re sitting ducks for a heart attack.”
The implication of this is that anyone who is not monitored properly could be heading for trouble. So simply copying a TV programme isn’t the most appropriate way to help oneself lose weight.
While defending the TV shows, these comments were echoed by a dietician Karen Inge who said: “You can die from being overweight, but also there are risks in very overweight people doing very strenuous exercise without actually being monitored.
Dehydration is obviously very life-threatening, but so is having a lot of water without appropriate salt replacement.”
A personal trainer in Australia who worked on these TV shows has also criticised them as being more about entertainment and ratings, than helping people who are overweight lose weight. He said: “The training they do is so intense from the start that people’s hearts and bodies aren’t ready for that. The last thing they have is those people’s best interests at heart.”
Dieting is a valuable way to help lose weight, but each diet should in reality be tailored to the individual, as should the type of exercise regime.