Diabetes and the Risk of Fad Diets
Remember Jared, the Subway Diet guy? He lost 245 pounds eating subs and not much else, every day for a year.
If you want to lose weight, there are plenty of fad diets and gimmicks out there. Think: The Zone, Sugar-Busters, or the cabbage soup diet. Sure, you can lose weight -- but if you have diabetes, you might also put your health at risk.
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"You can cut carbs, eat grapefruit, stand on your head a few days -- anybody who sticks to any diet will lose weight," says Luigi Meneghini, MD, director of the Kosnow Diabetes Treatment Center at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
Problem is, once the diet's over you're likely to return to those bad dietary habits that got you in trouble in the first place.
"Most people look at diets as a temporary measure to lose weight," Meneghini tells WebMD, "but they're not a real plan for changing unhealthy dietary habits."
The key to dieting for everyone -- whether you have diabetes or not -- is keeping the weight off and sticking to healthy eating habits.
Fad Diets & Diabetes: The Special Risks
For people with diabetes, there's another caution -- fad diets can cause downward spikes in blood sugar, says Cathy Nonas, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and a professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
"Reducing your calories, even at one meal, will affect your blood sugar," Nonas tells WebMD. "If you're taking medication that's also lowering your blood sugar, you will need to reduce that medication. You will need to monitor your blood sugar more often, depending on the severity of the diet and how calorie-restricted it is."
A fad diet can also increase cholesterol and blood pressure levels -- creating an especially high-risk situation for someone with diabetes, says Tara Gidus, MS, RD, a national spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and a private-practice nutritionist in Orlando, Fla.
"Diabetes can affect a number of systems in the body," Gidus tells WebMD, "putting you at higher risk for heart disease and other chronic health problems -- life-threatening health problems."
You simply have to be more savvy about your diet, says Gidus. A person with diabetes "cannot regulate blood sugar in the same way as a person without diabetes. There is more risk of complications. A fad diet can increase that risk."
Diet Fads: What's Good, What's Bad
Here's a sampling of some popular diets, and experts' opinions of them:
Is This Normal? Get the Facts Fast!
Answer:
0-69
70-130
131+
Your level is currently
If the level is below 70 and you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.
People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
Congratulations on taking steps to manage your health.
However, it's important to continue to track your numbers so that you can make lifestyle changes if needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
Your level is high if this reading was taken before eating. Aim for 70-130 before meals and less than 180 two hours after meals.
Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.
One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
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Affect Your Blood Sugar?
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how well you manage your blood sugar over time.
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