Weight loss diets advertised in non-scientific publications

Abstract

Weight-loss diets advertised in mainstream non-scientific publications and targeting the adult female public were evaluated in relation to total energy value, macronutrients, calcium, iron, vitamins A and E, and cholesterol content, as well as the presence of information regarding the duration of diets, fluid intake, physical activity, and maintenance diets. Two publications were selected, considering periodicity, circulation, readership, and years in publication. The Virtual Nutri software was used to evaluate the nutrients of 112 diets. Micronutrient content was compared to the Dietary Reference Intakes. All diets were inadequate in at least one of the evaluated items. Less than 25.0% of the diets presented adequate macronutrient distribution. Calcium, iron, and vitamin E were also predominantly inadequate (85.7, 97.3, and 91.9%, respectively). Non-scientific publications should not be allowed to advertise weight-loss diets. In addition, their chemical composition is inadequate and they are not accompanied by important instructions for such therapy.

Quality of diet plans for weight loss featured in women's magazines. A cross-sectional descriptive study

“…Moreover, 86% of those plans provided inappropriate calcium content, 92% gave rise to inadequate vitamin E content and 97% did not provide adequate iron content. 12 In our study, carried out ten years later, 20% of the diet plans did not provide any information on daily intake of water and less than 4% had appropriate macronutrient distributions. In relation to protein, 97.8% of them recommended that over 15% of the total calorie intake should come from that macronutrient.…”

“…[12][13][14] Most women are exposed to all kinds of diet plans for weight loss in magazines, which also lead them to be intensely concerned about their weight, appearance and body image. Women of all sizes and shapes are motivated to lose weight because of fashion and not because of the health risks associated with being obese or overweight.…”

Composição nutricional de dietas para emagrecimento publicadas em revistas não científicas: comparação com as recomendações dietéticas atuais de macronutrientes

“…22 Outros autores também observaram uma maior proporção de planos alimentares com excesso de calorias provenientes de proteínas publicados em revistas não científicas. 14,18,23,24 De fato, o seguimento de uma dieta rica em proteínas promove emagrecimento, uma vez que apresentam maior poder de saciedade em relação aos carboidratos e lipídios. 25 A ingestão proteica acima das necessidades orgânicas leva ao aumento das reações catabólicas de seus aminoácidos, aumentando a produção de subprodutos como ureia, gás carbônico, glicose e corpos cetônicos.…”