HEALTHY YOU... be Informed, be Aware, be Well!

We are always looking for ways to improve body, mind and soul.  Let's be clear there is no quick fix and although our sensibilities scream ‘scam’ many fall prey to the quackery of better health and weight loss Fads. These fads are a waste of money, time and do not provide the nutritional requirements your body needs to function effectively and efficiently. Health Fads have been proven time and time again to be more detrimental than beneficial.

A Fad diet is easily identified promising fast results, rapid weight loss with minimal exercise, does not contain foods from all food groups, extreme restrictions and is usually endorsed by a celebrity. Examples of Fad Diets include the baby food diet, cabbage soup diet, liquid diet, Atkins diet, blood type diet. Whilst they all sound ridiculous they have been tried by many. All of these diets should be disposed of in the nearest rubbish bin.

Fads are not limited to diet many have succumbed to the promise of better health through health fads such as ear candling, ozone therapy, colonics and bee venom therapy . Fads can be extreme and bizzare with therapies such as tapeworming and drinking cow urine with the promise better health.

The best way to lose weight to optimise health is too eat the right food

Task A

Will provide a definition and explain what a FAD is. This will be further demonstrated through specific examples with a description of old and new FADS.

Task B

In task B I have to select 3 of the health Fads I provided as examples in Worksheet 1 and answer, in full sentences, 7 questions for each of the 3 Fads selected.

Task C

I am required to use the internet to research and idenitify examples of how health fads have caused death and serious injury and provide details of each.

Task D

Watch an episode from the television show Dr Phil titled "Dangerous Fads' and provide information about the Fad in the format of a report.

Task E

Choose 3 celebraties that have been associated with a health fad and create a chain diagram using the Paint Program to provide a picture, details of the health Fad and its negative side effects.

Task A

Health Fads are not a new phenomenon they have been around for many years. While people remain gullible enough to believe in the hype surrounding Health Fads they will remain part of our Society. Beware of any product that put claim to miracle results. Here are a few past and present Health Fads –

HEALTH FAD	DETAILS
The Old
1920’s   - The Tapeworm Diet	The best of the   worst! The Tapeworm diet involves eating tapeworm tablets thereby infection   yourself with the tapeworm parasite. The idea is the tapeworm eats some of   the food you ingest reducing calories and allowing you to eat more of what   you like. Once the desired weight has been reached medicine is take to kill   the tapeworm., jockeys in the 1930s and   ’40s would intentionally give themselves tapeworms in hopes of staying trim. Very dangerous and   has been banned.
1941 – The Master Cleanse	The   Master Cleanse has been around since 1941. It is claimed that drinking a   combination of lemon juice, maply syrup, water and cayenne pepper rids the body   of toxins leading to improved health. The drink is all a person will ingest   for a period of 10-45 days. Obviously weight loss will follow, but in the   process the body is deprived of vital nutrients and vitamins causing numerous   health problems. Still a popular fad today.
1856   – Ozone Therapy	Ozone   therapy is the introduction of oxygen into a person’s blood stream. Oxygen is   mixed with a liquid and injected using a needle into your muscles, under your   skin or directly into your veins. There is no scientific evidence that ozone   therapy is successful in treating and prevent disease.
The New
2014   – Edible Soil	HOT OFF THE PRESS. A Tokyo restaurant has introduced a soil-based menu (dirt and potato   soup, dirt risotto, dirt ice-cream). It is claimed that the soil is rich in   umami, which ‘so called’ health experts claim is a salt substitute and reduces the   bodies craving for sodium chloride thereby reducing risks of high blood   pressure and heart disease. I will not be eating at that restaurant.
Thermogensis	They   look just like the hot pants Sandy wore them in Grease, however they are no   longer called ‘hot pants’ and are marketed as Thermogensis clothing. The idea   is you reduce fat and lose inches by increasing the amount you sweat while   working out. The fact of the matter only fact is you are losing water, not   fat and dehydrating your body.
The Kind Diet	The Kind   Diet written by Actress Alician Silverstone is all about going Vegan. A Vegan diets skip all animal products, including meat, eggs,   fish and dairy products. A Plant Diet that helps animals and the planet we   live on. It does not make unreasonable claims   or promises and encourage a gradual transition to a Vegan lifestyle. Overall   not a bad diet, however you must ensure that vitamins and minerals such as   proteins and calcium are being replaced to avoid deficiencies and to keep   your body functioning effectively.

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task B

v    The Master Cleanse is marketed as a weight lost management program and more recently a detoxification plan achieved through a ‘simple’ liquid diet. It further claims that weightloss is achieved whilst still providing the body with ‘healthy’ calories and nutrients. It also claims that your digestive system will be given “a rest” as the diet is liquid based. The Master Cleanse marketers use a long list of celebrities such as Beyonce, Demi Moore, Aston Kutcher and Gwenth Paltrow to promote the success of the weight lost program. It has also been marketed as the Celebrity Master Cleanse.

Negative Side Effects –

• Weakness and body aches (caused by lack of vitamins, minerals and  protein deficiency)
• Headaches (caused by rapid detoxification and nutrient deficiencies)
• Sores in the mouth and pain in the teeth or gums (caused by vitamin deficiency)

 

Ozone Therapy is marketed and promoted as a safe and effective way to improve well-being and promotes a positive change in your health and is endorsed by a Medical Practitioner. The words wellness, regenerate, alternative therapy, pure oxygen, medical wonder and feel younger are prevalent in its marketing. Key words to draw the consumer in with the promise of renewed health.

Negative Side Effects –

 

• Vein Inflammation
• Circulatory depression
• Heart condition,
• Shortness of breath,
• Chest pain,
• Fainting
• Clotting

 

                       

 

 

 

The Tapeworm Diet is no longer marketed or promoted as it has been banned by the Food and Drug Administration and should be avoided as all costs. However, it is still available in some foreign countries such as Asia. It was originally marketed as a the easiest of weight loss plans “you can eat without worry” was the marketing plan. You will lose weight without changing anything about your diet, couldn’t be easier. In reality the Tapeworm Diet was a disaster waiting to happen.

 

Negative Side Effects –

 

• The tapeworm usually goes to the stomach, however there are instances when it makes a wrong detour and it begins feasting in your brain.
• Tapeworms eat nutrients instead of fat resulting in vitamin deficiencies.
• Abdominal pain
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Bloating
• Diarrhea.

 

One of the new kids on the block Edible Soil is being marketed as part of the Edible Garden. A Healthy ‘food’ that is high in vitamin and low in fat and the way of the future. This can be made with almost any ingredients you want, as long as the result is the same: a mixture of edible items that resembles soil. Restaurants present the soil as a table decoration with small vegetable or herb shoots placed in the mixture and then persuade people to give it a try.

Negative Side Effects

• This is dependent on what ingredients, components have been used to construct the soil. If unknown then the soil should not be eaten. If dirt has been used there may be a risk of it being contaminated with fertilisers and pesticides.
• This is not marketed as a diet, it is offered as an alternative to mainstream food a classic example of a fad – here today gone tomorrow.

To Do Thermogensis and the Kind Diet

I would try –

I am not supportive of any form of Faddism. However for the purposes of this exercise I would try the Master Cleanse and the Kind Diet. Due to the health risks associated with the Ozone Therapy, Edible Soil, Thermogenisis and Tapeworm Diet I could only pick two. I chose the Master Cleanse because it could be undertaken for a short period of time and was promoted this way. The risks were well publicised and and were not great if the Program was followed correctly. Detoxification has health benefits and if undertaken for a limited duration could be beneficial to the body.

I would not try –

I would not try the tapeworm diet as its one of the most dangerous health fads. I also could not think of having a tapeworm in my body. The tapeworm diet works but there are better ways of losing weight.

Task C

Health Fad	Master Cleanse Diet
Person (Name, Age, Gender, photo)	Eddie Van Halen, 57, Male
Duration of Health Fad	Article indicates Val Halen injested a single dose   of the cayenne-based dietary drink as part of the Master Cleanse Diet.
Reason for going on Health Fad	To cleanse toxins from the body and restore health.
Symptoms	Patient presented with excruciating abdominal pain   caused from inflammation of his intenstine.
Did the Health Fad achieve what it   claimed in any way?	There is no evidence to suggest that it did.
Details of other similar cases	None available. However the Master Cleanse Websites   do list abdominal pain as one of the side effects of the Master Cleanse   Program.

 

 

 

Health Fad	The Cotton Ball Diet
Person (Name, Age, Gender, photo)	Teenagers, models and actresses.
Duration of Health Fad	Teenagers models and actresses  eat cotton balls dipped in all sorts of juices   every day as its part of the diet.
Reason for going on Health Fad	Teenagers models   and actresses go on the cotton ball diet because they want to lose weight.
Symptoms	Fainting, fatigue spells and   mood swings are common symptoms when the body is starved. Cotton   balls are indigestible objects. And such as eating them it cause serious   damage such as bezoar which is like a huge mass of undigested material   trapped in your stomach which causes you to feel sick this also causes an   intestinal obstruction which blocks your bowel movement.
Did the Health Fad achieve what it   claimed in any way?	The health   fad achieved one thing which was losing weight but it did not make anyone   healthier.
Details of other similar cases	None available

 

Task D

 

             

Report Dangerous Fads     Tanning Booths/Beds Phentemine

                       

1  Types of Fads

There were two types of fads identified in the Dr Phil Television show these were –

1.1                         Tanning Beds

A Tanning bed is a contraption resembling a bed with a special canopy that emits rays of ultraviolet light so that the person lying on it develops a tan.

1.2                         Phentermine

Phentermine is a prescription medication for weight loss. It is usually prescribed only in cases of serious obesity, when diet and exercise have failed.

2       Types of People involved in these Fads

2.1                         Tanning Beds

The type of people involved in the use of tanning beds is widespread. An example of this comes from the Dr Phil Television show when an mother and daughter were interviewed and admitted to having an addiction to tanning for cosmetic reasons. The tanning fad is not limited to a particular age group or gender with many under the misconception that a tan is healthy and stating that they “feel better” with a tan.

There is no such thing as a healthy tan, in fact a tan is your body attempting to protect itself from the harmful and deadly effect of the sun’s rays. As UV rays penetrate the skin, it starts to break down DNA in the body. In order for the body to protect itself to prevent further damage to, it starts to produce melanin which is the browning of you skin.

2.2                         Phentermine

People involved in the use of the weight lost drug Phentermine is anyone who wants to lose weight fast. However like any weight loss Fad rapid weight loss comes with serious side effects. There is no such thing has a quick fix and we should be wary of any drug that promises quick results.

3       Side Effects

3.1                         Tanning Beds

v    Skin Cancer - An individual's chance of developing a melanoma, the rarest but deadliest form of skin cancer, is increased by 22 per cent if they have used a solarium just once.

v    Damaged Eyes: Overexposure of ultraviolet rays leads to 'ocular carcinoma' or cancer of the eyes. The arc eye effect (corneal flash burns) is also caused by the overexposure of tanning beds. Most people tend to ignore the health warnings of wearing a good quality eye gear when using the tanning beds as they want to tan their eyelids.

v    Aging: Overexposure to the UV rays can actually lead to premature aging of the skin. Premature wrinkles are caused, along with irreversible changes in color, texture tone and elasticity of the skin.

3.2                         Phentermine

v    Chest pain

v    Irritability

v    Decreased ability to exercise

v    Dizziness

v    Fainting

v    Fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse

v    Headache

v    Numbness or tingling in the arms or legs

v    Swelling of the feet or lower legs

v    Shaking of the legs, arms, hands, or feet

v    Difficulty breathing

v    General weakness

 

Task E

 

 

          

 

 

CONCLUSION

Reaching and maintaining optimal health, weight and wellbeing requires an understanding of the many different aspects that affect each one. It is easy to get confused by the constant stream of information that is fed to us daily through the media and health experts telling us to do this that and the other in order to stay healthy, One thing I am sure of is FADS have NO part to play in the equation that leads to optimal health and wellness.

I have learnt that Fads have been around for hundreds of years and we are bombarded with new Fads on a daily basis. You cannot turn on the television without seeing promotional material for a wonder machine that tones the body with minimum effort, or a drink that dissolves body fat. Whilst our head screams scam our desire for the ultimate body tempts us to with the promise of quick results. There is no such thing as a quick fix, and many of the Fads I researched have a detrimental effect on our health.

Companies use clever marketing schemes including the use of celebrities to entice us, after all who wouldn’t want to look like Beyoncé. Three weeks on the Master Cleanse and I am rocking it just like the celebrity who endorses the product. That is what they would have us believe, however that is far from the truth.

My strategy for good health outcomes comes from the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. My tips for achieving and maintaining great health include –

v  I believe proper nutrition is the most important factor in good health. The body requires vitamins and nutrients which are the building blocks for energy, growth, repair, and reproduction, to function properly. To achieve proper nutrition a balanced diet is required.

v  The Healthy Living Pyramid was developed to provide a simple guide to planning the types of foods we should eat and in what proportions different foods should be consumed. The pyramid represents food from the core food groups. Healthy eating leads to a healthy weight.

v  A balanced diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk and milk products, includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts, is low in saturated fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars.

v  Exercise – Find time to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, there are so many ways to exercise, something for everyone. No excuses.

v  Remember in order to maintain your desired body weight, food eaten (energy in) always needs to be balanced with physical activity (energy out).

v  Sleep is an absolute necessity to optimal health and wellbeing. Sleep helps maintain the healthy functioning of the body, when we sleep; the body repairs itself of any damage that has occurred during the day. We wake ready to tackle another day. Aim for a minimum of 8 hours every night.

As the old saying goes, "you are what you eat." Our body utilises the nutrients in our diet to function properly. If the nutrients are not there, our bodies will not function properly. Fads are not the answer, if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. There is no trick to great health, it is all about balance, planning and a positive attitude. Respect your body and it will reward you!