Self-Mythologizing Post- Blog 7

There are a number of myths about the “fad” diets that have crept up into our society in the past few years. Many people perceive these diets to be a great way to lose weight and to start eating healthier. However, they are really not as healthy as people think and can actually be very harmful to your health. For example, the Atkin’s diet is one of the most popular diets in the U.S. right now. It encourages removing all carbohydrates from your diet in order to lose weight. My parents have both been on the diet and you do lose weight, there is no doubt about that. However, the lack of carbohydrates and other nutrients can actually have a very harmful effect on you. Carbs are the primary energy source in the body, especially for nerve cells. By taking in carbohydrates, you prevent the production of things called ketones which are used as an alternate energy source when you don’t have carbs. Excessive amounts of Ketones can result in high blood acidity which will damage body tissues. Also, the lack of fiber, fruits and vegetables in the diet leads to a greater risk of coronary heart disease and cancer. The real way to lose weight is really by making lifestyle changes and just eating healthier all around. By eliminating important food groups from your body, you are really hurting yourself, even if you are losing weight really fast. This is just one example of the myth that these popular diets our todays are really healthy. While they do lose weight, they aren’t necessarily very healthy for your body, especially long term. I think a lot of the myths about healthy diets can be partially true but you don’t have the whole story. The doctors who put out these diet books and lines of diet food products in the grocery stores are looking to make a profit because our society is becoming increasingly health-conscious today. They will try to feed people information about all of the benefits of these diets, without reminding people that there are some cons to these “miracle diets.”