Experts advise Britons to steer clear of “fad diets” that promise a chance for quick weight loss by 2023.

The British Dietetic Association (BDA) says the public should be “extremely critical” when it comes to dietary advice that claims to offer a quick fix for weight loss. According to the organization, this type of crash diet can do more harm than good.

The BDA notes that by 2022 dieticians will have to “deny” a number of fad diets such as the “water diet” and the “boiled egg diet.”

BDA spokeswoman Marcela Fiuz said that focusing on the need to lose weight when making New Year’s resolutions “often leads to yo-yo dieting or triggers cycles of weight loss and gain, which can be detrimental to health”.

“Dieting New Year’s resolutions can also be a problem for people with eating disorders, and in fact dieting itself can lead to eating disorders,” he added.

According to the eating disorder charity Beat, around 1.25 million people in the UK suffer from eating disorders.

Nichola Ludlam-Raine, a registered dietitian and member of the BDA, also warns that trends like “new year, new you” can be “terrible for self-esteem” because it makes “people think they’re not good enough as they are”. .

“The converse is true, and we need to increase people’s self-esteem to make positive changes in food intake by focusing on what we should be eating and what we should be doing more of, such as increasing fluid and fiber intake, instead of obsessing over it. over the restrictions,” he explained.

The BDA represents over 10,500 dietitians across the UK and works closely with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to report diet advertisements that contain misleading and misleading information.

Miles Lockwood, the ASA’s director of complaints, claims and investigations, clarified: “Our rules make it clear that advertisers must not mislead or be irresponsible when advertising products or diet systems.”

“You have to back up your claims with solid evidence, not just relying on ‘before and after’ photos. In addition, advertisements must not claim that people can lose irresponsible amounts of weight or fat.

It added that advertisers may not target children under the age of 18 or include offensive material in their ads.

The BDA explains that most fad diets are unsustainable in the long term and some have direct adverse health effects, resulting in loss of muscle mass, nutritional deficiencies, and altered metabolism. In fact, these factors can increase the likelihood of gaining weight in the future.

Kaitlin Colucci, also a member of the BDA, explains: “Fad diets promise quick fixes, requiring little time, little thought, and little investment. All of them promise extraordinary results.”

“They can be problematic because they don’t lead to long-term sustainable change and can create a problematic and unhealthy relationship with food.”

For anyone having trouble with the issues raised in this article, call an eating disorder charity defeat available 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677. NCFED offers information, resources, and advice to those with eating disorders and their support network. Visit eating-disorders.org.uk or call 0845 838 2040.

Translation of anna mcdonnell