Busting the Body Myths Part 1

There is so much misinformation about how to lose weight that it’s not surprising people don’t know which way to turn when a new product comes out. My heart sinks whenever I hear of new fads and gimmicks that are on the market, and I grieve for all the people taken in by false promises and clever marketing. I believe it is emotional blackmail: ”Try this pill/potion/drink, and presto, no more fat.”

Have you been taken in by quick-fix products? If you have had a weight problem for some time, then I’d be surprised if you have not. After all, faced with the choice of taking a pill or going on a diet to lose weight, don’t we always want to take the easy option? Of course we do; it’s human nature. Unfortunately, as I have already mentioned, none of these products actually works. They may even harm you and promote weight gain, which would of course make you a perfect customer for the next product that comes along.

I was recently speaking to a friend who is in her mid-30s and suffers from acne and blemishes. She said, “Janet, I never learn. I have tried every potion and lotion on the market, and yet each time a new one comes out I think, ‘This is the one that’s going to do it’—but it never does.” Does this sound familiar? Is this how you feel about every miracle diet that comes along?

Let’s look at a few of the myths that surround the diet industry. Here are some of the most common misconceptions.

1) Potatoes and pasta will make me fat. False. Both of these foods are carbohydrates and can make up a valuable portion of your diet. It’s what you put on them that usually causes the problem. A baked potato smothered in butter will certainly be high in fat. If it is filled with raw vegetables in a low-fat dressing, however, it can make a nutritious low-fat meal or snack. Pasta also contains very little fat itself (provided you buy the durum-wheat variety and not the type that contains egg). A pasta salad provides lots of nutrients for a tasty meal. Both potatoes and pasta are quite slow to release carbohydrates. This means that they release glucose into our bloodstream gradually over a period of time, giving us a constant supply of energy. As a result of this, you won’t feel full one minute and hungry an hour later. Of course, too much of anything—including carbohydrates—will cause you to gain weight. If the total amount of calories you consume is greater than the total amount you burn, the excess will be stored—as fat.

2) If I diet, I will lose fat from only one part of my body, so I can choose a diet specifically designed for my problem area. False. It is impossible to lose fat from one part of the body and nowhere else. As we explain later in this chapter, you lay down your fat cells at three stages of your life. Whether or not you fill them up depends on what you eat and if you exercise or not. This you can change, but no diet can empty fat only from certain cells and not from others. It’s a physiological impossibility. You will lose fat from where you store it. So if you store fat on your stomach and you diet, you will lose it from this area.

Find out more misconceptions at our next part of this series!