Fad diets aren't new, in fact for decades they have become popular for several months or years only to fade when they are either proven to not work as reported or lose their mystique. Unfortunately, fad dieting is perhaps one of the worst ways to lose weight, because they don't focus on long term weight loss, instead focusing on how simple and convenient these diets are to follow or how much weight they can help someone lose in a very short period of time.

Fad Diets Can Be Dangerous

Fad diets can be dangerous in many respects. First off, since fad diets usually become popular out of the blue, they haven't been tested scientifically to ensure that they are safe over the long term. Fad diets can also be dangerous, because many of them usually request the dieter to extremely cut down on their caloric intake- instead consuming juice, soup or some kind of fruit for all their nutritional needs. While the average person can go a few days without a balanced diet, if you have a medical condition, you may be doing considerable harm to yourself by cutting back on essential nutrients.

Fad Diets That Are or Have Been Popular

Here is a list of some of the diets that are considered to be fad diets:

Lemonade Diet
This diet requires you not to eat any solid food, instead you drink lemonade, consume maple syrup and cayenne pepper

Cabbage Soup Diet
This diet requires you to consume heavy amounts of cabbage soup and a small piece of fruit or vegetable/starch for about 7 days.

Grapefruit Diet
This is an 18 day diet that requires one to consume large amounts of grapefruit each day, cutting back on other essential foods.

As you can see, with fad diets you may lose a few pounds, however the diet process will not be pleasant and staying on the diet for the long term is definitely not recommended. As always, it is advised that you consult with your physician before starting any diet program.