On Wednesday, November 30th, assistant lecturer Gulan Jabbar from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics presented a seminar on Fad Diets under the title of “A Nutritionist’s Nightmare; What is the Best Diet?”
In the seminar, the history of dieting was explained, starting with the Greek word “diatia” meaning mode of life or lifestyle, and the “Vinegar and water diet” by Lord Byron, all the way to the modern fad diets, such as keto diet, paleo diet, weight watchers diet, detox diet…..etc.
The seminar elaborated that fad diets promise quick fixes to serious health conditions like obesity, as they may have short-term benefits due to the calorie deficit property, but on the long term, they are unsustainable and most likely will result in nutrient deficiencies, and sometimes dangerous health outcomes.
Also, the key recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 were demonstrated.
The takeaway from the seminar was that there is no single best diet that fits all of us, but rather a healthful dietary pattern is personalized for each of us.
Iraq, Kurdistan Region,