Is Your Medically-Approved Diet a Hoax?

Photo: Steven Fernandez, Flickr

Some fad diets are identity thieves. That new diet sponsored by a famous medical center? Watch out -- it could be a hoax. Turns out it's not a prestigious Minnesota clinic advising you to eat a grapefruit with every Atkins-esque high-fat/protein, low-carb meal.

Here are two medical-center diet fakes to watch out for:

Hoax #1: The Cleveland Clinic Diet. This prestigious clinic is a miraculous, life-saving island in the Midwest, but it does not sponsor a diet claiming a 10-pound weight loss in only three days. Nope, that's the fad version hiding behind Cleveland Clinic's good name. This three-day scarf includes hot dogs, vanilla ice cream, cabbage and eggs -- breath mint, anyone? -- which allegedly ups metabolism to burn fat. Then you follow with a few days of normal eating before re-starting the three-day scarf once again. Long-term weight loss on this cycle is unlikely -- those normal-eating days will turn into binge fests.

The real Cleveland Clinic not only denies this cycling fad diet, it says it won't work long-term. Instead they recommend a plant-based Mediterranean-style of eating (fruits, veggies, limit animal protein and stick with healthy fats). Now for the next thief:

Hoax # 2: The Mayo Clinic Diet. Born in 1940, this bogus diet is actually approaching its 70th anniversary, another indicator of the pervasive insanity of fad dieting. This 12-day on, two-day off diet includes unlimited fat, protein and cholesterol, along with fat-burning grapefruit. After 10 weeks you supposedly drop up to 55 pounds. Yeah right, then eat like a mortal and gain it all back. Now the real-deal Mayo Clinic has developed the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid, a realistic, balanced approach to eating.

Fad diets don't work. Highly restrictive, rigid eating doesn't work. Next time you see a reputable medical center attached to a diet, check it out first.