Bizarre Diet Fads: Problem or the New Norm?

by Allie Serres

    Dieting is no longer just for people trying to lose weight or to get into shape, It has become an american fad. Diets have been gaining popularity since the 1980s, and are now a common thing we see in everyday life. The old way of dieting was just eating healthier, and maybe cutting out carbs, fats and/or sugars, but now there are so many more ways to diet.

    There are many safe ways to diet and stay healthy, such as the paleo diet. This is at times known as the “caveman’s diet” because of the guidelines one must adhere to in order to follow this diet. People who choose to follow the paleo diet only eat foods that come directly from the earth, meaning no processed foods allowed. This type of diet is good in that you can nourish your body with healthy choices without getting all the fat and excess sugars along the way.

    Of course there are also some ways of dieting that can be very harmful to the body, such as the cotton ball diet. In this diet, people eat cotton balls before a meal so that they won’t be able to eat as much. Cotton balls are not really made of cotton. They are a polyester and chemical blend, so basically what a common T-shirt is made out of. Cotton balls have little to no nutritional value and do not digest easily, which has the potential to cause malnutrition or even to damage digestive tracts. Some healthier alternatives for this diet would be to eat sugar free jello, or drink more water in order to feel fuller and eat less.

    As long a dieting is done in the correct way, it isn’t a bad thing. It can help people lose weight or just simply feel better about themselves because they are eating healthier. However, eating healthier doesn’t have to mean dieting. Simply choosing a healthy choice instead of a sugary or fatty one can go a long way. This is not to say that dieting is bad. Dieting can be a great choice as long as it is done in moderation. Another factor that needs to be taken into consideration is safe choices. Research needs to be done on the choice diet to ensure that it is being done correctly, and that it won’t be harmful to the body.