Food fads can affect anyone at any age. It's not just children who are fussy about food; adults too can become excessively particular about what they eat. This is not a positive development, so you should be aware of any signs that your diet is faddy. Here are some signs you may have developed food fads …
One sign that you may have fallen prey to food fads is that your diet is too restrictive. Cutting out major food groups such as carbohydrates means that your body is not getting the full range of energy and nutrients it needs. There has been a lot of recent publicity about the ridiculous '50 bananas in one meal' diet. It's implausible that anyone could eat that much fruit, and any diet that focuses on one food is not safe.
Do you constantly switch from one diet to another, hoping that you'll finally find the key to weight loss? A new diet is seemingly in vogue every week. But if any of these diets worked, there wouldn't be a need for a new one. If you constantly try new diets, this could indicate that you have developed food fads.
Do you turn down any invitations to eat out? Ask yourself if you're afraid of people seeing how restrictive your diet is. Eating out is difficult if you're following a faddish diet, so you simply avoid eating away from home. In the home, it's easier to eat what you want (and avoid what your diet prohibits).
There's no denying that food intolerances are a serious problem for some. But far too many people are self-diagnosing allergies or intolerances, and consequently cutting those foods out of their diet. You should only follow an elimination diet on the advice of a doctor. Don't just convince yourself that you're allergic to wheat or dairy products. You may be missing the real issue - or there may not be a problem at all.
You follow a diet because a celebrity is reported to endorse it. But why should this influence you? Celebs have personal trainers and are paid to talk about how a diet helped them lose the pounds. How likely is it that they really credit the diet with keeping them fit and healthy?
If you follow a diet that has no scientific evidence to support its claims, that may indicate that you're inclined towards food fads. Many diets maintain that they will help you lose lots of weight or that you will be incredibly healthy. Always look closely at a diet's claims; there are no miracles.
Many food fads start because people want a quick fix, or because they believe miraculous claims of health benefits. There are no quick fixes or miracle foods. There are foods that are good for you though, and that are worth consuming. Just don't let yourself be taken in by the claims.
Food fads aren't necessarily due to weight loss; they can also stem from a wish to eat well and be healthy. Just don't let things go to extremes. Eat a well-balanced diet with all the food groups (and have a few treats if you want). Have you ever followed any faddish diets?