Don't waste time on fad diets

Fad diets, which lead to short-term weight loss, can often be a waste of time, according to a new study.

Whether you're following the Atkins and Dukan The Fast Diet, The Alkaline Diet to The Baby Food Diet, The Blood-Type Diet, The French Woman Diet, The Paleo Diet and the new 5:2 regime, these often turn out to be passing fancies, reveals a study conducted on 2,000 adults here by Alpro, a manufacturer of soy-based food and drink products.

Alpro dietician Kate Arthur said: "More and more dieters are realising that the fad diet promises of shedding huge amounts of weight in just a few weeks are either hollow, or that the diets are impossible to follow.

"The reality is that the majority of these diets are so impractical, and indeed so little fun that we often give up within just a few days."

Out of half of the respondents who regularly diet, Alpro found that two out of five dieters quit within the first seven days.

One out of five people are able to sustain it for a month, and the same number make it to the three-month mark, while the remainder stay dedicated for at least six months.

However, only one in 20 is likely to still be following their new healthy eating regime after one year.

Most people begin their diets on a Monday, indictes the survey. Over four out of 10 regular dieters see Mondays as the logical starting point for it usually following a weekend of excess either at home or by eating and drinking out with friends.

However, it's often in vain as only five days later, by Friday the same week, many people are likely to have already given up the latest new dieting craze.

The research also found that an increasing number of people are realising the benefits of regular healthy eating.

"There has never been any secret to sustaining a healthy diet. It always has been, and always will be, about eating the right foods as part of a balanced diet, and exercising, while allowing yourself a treat now and again," said Arthur.