How to spot a fad diet - Mia Nacamulli

譯者: 庚鑫Toby 劉Liu 審譯者: Cindy Lam

Conventional wisdom about diets,

常見的飲食知識，

including government health recommendations,

包括政府的健康建議

seems to change all the time.

似乎天天在改變

And yet, ads routinely come about

然而，廣告卻經常聲稱有

claiming to have the answer about what we should eat.

關於我們應該吃什麼的答案

So how do we distinguish what's actually healthy

那麼，我們該如何區分什麼是真正的健康

from what advertisers just want us to believe is good for us?

或廣告只是想讓我們相信它對我們有利？

Marketing takes advantage of the desire to drop weight fast,

行銷利用我們渴望快速減肥

and be stronger,

變得更加強壯

slimmer,

苗條

and brighter.

還有看起來更有精神

And in the big picture, diet plans promising dramatic results,

重點是，減肥計劃承諾有戲劇性的結果

known as fad diets,

就是食療減肥法

are just what they seem: too good to be true.

看起來好的不可思議

So where do diet fads even come from?

這樣的減肥潮流，是從哪裡來的？

While the Ancient Greeks and Romans

在幾個世紀前，古希臘人和羅馬人

rallied behind large-scale health regimens centuries earlier,

整理了龐大數量的養生之道

this phenomenon began in earnest in the Victorian Era

這個現象最早出現在維多利亞時期

with crazes like the vinegar diet

並伴隨著時尚，比如喝醋減肥法

and the Banting Diet.

節食減肥法。

Since then, diets have advised us all sorts of things:

從那以後，減肥被宣傳成各種各種的事

to excessively chew,

充分的咀嚼

to not chew at all,

一下都不嚼

to swallow a grapefruit per meal,

每餐吃一個葡萄柚

non-stop cabbage soup,

不停的喝生菜湯

even consumption of arsenic,

甚至服砷 (砒霜)

or tapeworms.

吃絛蟲

If the idea of diet crazes has withstood history,

如果減肥餐的辦法經得住歷史考驗

could this mean that they work?

那就意味著它們是有效的？

In the short term, the answer is often yes.

在短時間內，它們常常有效

Low-carbohydrate plans,

低碳水化合物飲食計劃

like the popular Atkins or South Beach Diets,

就像流行的阿特金斯減肥法 以及南灘減肥法

have an initial diuretic effect.

原本就有利尿的作用

Sodium is lost until the body can balance itself out,

鈉被流失，直到身體能夠平衡它們

and temporary fluid weight loss may occur.

並且會發生短暫的身體流體質量減輕

With other high-protein diets, you might lose weight at first

關於其他的高蛋白餐 你可能在一開始減重

since by restricting your food choices,

因為它限制了你的食物選擇

you are dropping your overall calorie intake.

減少了總體卡路里的攝入

But your body then lowers its metabolic rate to adjust to the shift,

但是你的身體之後會降低 新陳代謝速率來適應調整

lessening the diet's effect over time

減肥的效果便逐漸減少

and resulting in a quick reversal if the diet is abandoned.

並且如果放棄這種飲食 體重就會快速反彈

So while these diets may be alluring early on,

所以，這些飲食計劃 可能一開始吸引著你

they don't guarantee long-term benefits for your health and weight.

它們並不能保證你長期的健康 以及體重有好處

A few simple guidelines, though, can help differentiate between

有一些簡單的指導 能幫助你來區分

a diet that is beneficial in maintaining long-term health,

這個飲食計劃是對 維持長期健康有好處的

and one that only offers temporary weight changes.

還是僅僅在短期內 體重上有所變化

Here's the first tipoff:

這是第一個警告：

If a diet focuses on intensely cutting back calories

如果一個飲食計劃集中減少卡路里

or on cutting out entire food groups,

或者減少整個食物群

like fat, sugar, or carbohydrates,

像是脂肪，糖類或者碳水化合物

chances are it's a fad diet.

它們就有可能是減肥餐

And another red flag is ritual,

另一個危險信號是有模式的

when the diet in question instructs you to only eat specific foods,

那就是當這個飲食計劃 告訴你只吃特定的食物

prescribed combinations,

規定的組合

or to opt for particular food substitutes,

或者去選擇指定的食品替代物

like drinks, bars, or powders.

像是飲料、棒狀食物 或者粉末狀的食物

The truth is shedding pounds in the long run

事實就是長期減肥

simply doesn't have a quick-fix solution.

沒有一個簡單的速效對策

Not all diet crazes tout weight loss.

不是所有流行餐都以減少體重為賣點

What about claims of superfoods, cleanses, and other body-boosting solutions?

那麼關於保健食品、清潔食品和 其他強化身體辦法的意見呢？

Marketing emphasizes the allure

市場強調了產品

of products associated with ancient and remote cultures

關於古代和久遠文化的魅力

to create a sense of mysticism for consumers.

從而對消費者造成迷惑感

While so-called superfoods, like blueberries or açaí,

被叫做超級食物的東西 比如藍莓、巴西莓

do add a powerful punch of nutrients,

確實加入了強力的營養物

their super transformative qualities are largely exaggeration.

它們的超級塑形能力被極大地誇大

They are healthy additions to a balanced diet,

對於平衡膳食 它們是健康的添加劑

yet often, they're marketed as part of sugary drinks or cereals,

但是經常被市場用作 甜味飲料和穀物的成分

in which case the negative properties outweight the benefits.

在那種情況下 它們的壞處大於好處

Cleanses, too, may be great in moderation

清潔食品，同樣也是 可能對節制有很大幫助

since they can assist with jumpstarting weight loss

因為它們可以幫助開始減少體重

and can increase the number of fresh fruits and vegetables consumed daily.

並且可以增加 每天新鮮水果和蔬菜的攝入

Scientifically speaking, though,

但是，從科學角度

they've not yet been shown to have either a long-term benefit

它們還沒有被發現有長期的好處

or to detox the body any better than the natural mechanisms already in place.

或者比通過自然機制排毒更有效

Everywhere we look,

無論在哪裡

we're offered solutions to how we can look better,

都有解決讓我們怎樣看起來更好

feel fitter,

感覺更健康

and generally get ahead.

並且總體上在進步的方法

Food is no exception,

食物沒有例外

but advice on what we should eat is best left to the doctors and nutritionists

但是建議我們吃什麼最好

who are aware of our individual circumstances.

應該留給了解我們 個人情況的醫生或者是營養師

Diets and food fads aren't inherently wrong.

飲食計劃以及減肥餐本質上沒有錯

Circumstantially, they might even be right,

有些時候，它們甚至是對的

just not for everyone all of the time.

但並不總適用於每個人