Back on a diet — for the 126th time
BRITS will try 126 fad diets over the course of their lifetime, experts estimate.
A study of 2000 adults found each person will embark on at least two fad diets a year in a bid to lose weight fast.
The most common “quick fix” methods were revealed as the Atkins Diet, the 5:2 and the Cabbage Soup Diet, while others opted to eliminate key food groups by trying the Keto, South Beach or Juice diets.
Unsurprisingly, the typical fad diet is abandoned after an average of just six days.
But 52 per cent of those polled admitted they were really confused about which diets were sustainable and which were not.
One fifth don’t know where to go to get reliable and truthful information, and more than half are baffled about which foods can and can’t be cut out.
Almost one third of adults even believe consumption of fruits such as berries, apples and bananas should be limited.
Nick Marston, chairman of Love Fresh Berries, which commissioned the study, said: “January tends to be the month when people embark on fad diets as a quick fix.
“However, we know that it isn’t a sustainable or even healthy approach. Instead, nutritionists advise that we follow evidence-based nutritional advice and look for a well-balanced diet that does not cut out any food groups.
“Incorporating lots of fruit and vegetables is important, including berries as they have many important nutritional benefits.”
The study also revealed that when deciding to “emergency diet”, almost half of those polled would turn to Google as their first port of call for information, while 10 per cent would find out what their favourite celebrity does to look good.
Social media and self-help books are referred to by 15 per cent of people, but only 27 per cent say they’d consider consulting a GP.
Key motivations for Brits to take up a crash diet include having a big event on the horizon (18 per cent), preparing for a holiday (21 per cent) and wanting to feel happier with appearance (24 per cent).