JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For many, one the biggest New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight, but certain fad diets people are turning to come with risk.
Shedding weight always seems to be at the top of everyone’s resolution list.
That’s why Irina Makhtin hits the gym three to four times a week.
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"I just try to eat healthy," she said.
But others are turning to fad diets to lose weight.
“Some of the big ones that are very popular right now are definitely the Keto Diet, or Ketogenic Diet. Intermittent Fasting also remains popular going into 2020. We also always see an increase of weight loss products,” said Kayla Fisher, a registered dietitian at UF Health Jacksonville.
Fisher told Action News Jax that although these diets are popular, not all of them are the healthiest.
“The concern with the Keto diet is that it’s a very high fat, moderate protein, very low carbohydrate diet,” Fisher said.
That means people will miss out on the fruits and vegetables they need and the vital nutrients they get from things like whole grains and beans.
Fisher said there are ways to spot a fad diet.
The first is if the diet is too restrictive and it cuts out certain food groups.
The second if it promises rapid weight loss, and the third if it’s not backed up by long-term research.
Fisher said when it comes to losing weight the healthy way, you should always add physical activity or exercise to your routine.
Makhtin told me she’s not a believer in most of these fad diets.
“It hurts people more, and you gain more weight,” she said.
UF Health also told us detox diet teas and over-the-counter weight loss pills also come up into the New Year, but most of these products are not regulated by the FDA and can have a harmful effect on your heart or aren’t even effective at all.
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