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Top 10 diet myths |
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Myth 1
Cholesterol is bad for you, low or zero-fat diets are good
for you. |
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Fact
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is made mostly by the
liver. We all need some blood cholesterol as it's used to
build cells and make vital hormones - and there's good
cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Leading dietician Lyndel
Costain explains, 'Saturated fats found in food like meat,
cheese, cream, butter and processed pastries tend to raise
LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol - known as 'bad'
cholesterol - and this delivers cholesterol to the arteries.
HDL (high density lipoprotein) - or 'good' cholesterol -
transports cholesterol away from the arteries, back to the
liver.
People tend to think they need a low fat diet to lose
weight, but you should still have a third of your calories
coming from fat. As a guideline, women need 70g (95g for
men) of fat a day with 30g (40g for men) as the minimum.
There's no need to follow a fat free diet, just cutting down
on saturated fats and having unsaturated fats, found in
things like olive oil and avocados, will help. |
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Myth 2
Crash
dieting or fasting makes you lose weight. |
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Fact
This
can be true in the short term but as Claire MacEvilly,
nutrition scientist from the British Nutrition Foundation,
explains it can have negative side effects on cholesterol
levels. 'Losing weight over the long term burns off fat, and
crash dieting or fasting not only removes fat but also lean
muscle and tissue. It can also make you feel dizzy or weak
so it's much better to try long term weight loss.'
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Myth 3
Food
eaten late at night is more fattening. |
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Fact
Many
diets tell you not to eat after a certain time in the
evening in the belief that the body will store more fat
because it is not burned off with any activity. However, a
study at the Dunn Nutrition Centre in Cambridge suggests
otherwise. Volunteers were placed in a whole body
calorimeter (which measures calories burned and stored) and
were fed with a large lunch and small evening meal for one
test period, then a small lunch and large evening meal
during a second test period. The results revealed the large
meal eaten late at night did not make the body store more
fat – it's the total amount eaten in a 24-hour period that's
important. Lyndel Costain says, 'It is true that people who
skip meals during the day, then eat loads in the evening are
more likely to be overweight than those who eat regularly
throughout the day. This may be because eating regular meals
helps people regulate their appetite and overall food
intake.' |
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Myth 4
Vegetarians can't build muscle. |
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Fact
Vegetarians can be equally as muscular as meat eaters by
getting their protein from vegetable products like nuts,
pulses and grains. Claire MacEvilly says, 'You need protein
to build muscle but too much can lead to long-term side
effects, like putting the kidney under too much pressure.
The body can only store a certain amount of protein, too
much can damage the kidney. The Department of Health
recommends that 50 per cent of energy should come from
carbohydrates, 35 per cent from fat and the remaining 15 per
cent from protein.' |
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Myth 5
A
slow metabolism prevents weight loss. |
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Fact
This
is a common myth among overweight people trying to manage
their weight. Studies have shown that resting metabolism,
which is the number of calories used by the body at rest,
increases rather than decreases as people become fatter. In
other words, the larger you are, the more calories that are
required to keep your body going. Clare Grace, obesity
research dietitian at the Royal London Hospital, says,
'Weight gain occurs when the number of calories eaten is
greater than the number used up by the body. Unfortunately,
people are becoming increasingly sedentary, burning off less
and less calories, and it seems likely this is a crucial
factor in the increasing numbers struggling to control their
weight.' |
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Myth 6
Fattening foods make for rapid weight gain. |
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Fact
Believe it or not, true weight gain is a slow process. You
need to eat an extra 3500 calories to gain one pound of body
fat (and vice versa for losing it). Lyndel Costain explains,
'If the scales say you've gained a few pounds after a meal
out, it's largely due to fluid, which will resolve itself -
as long as you don't get fed up, and keep overeating! A lot
of people feel guilty and think they've blown their diet if
they eat rich foods. But, how can a 2oz chocolate bar make
you instantly put on pounds? Balance high fat foods with
healthy food and activity for long term weight control.' |
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Myth 7
Low-fat milk has less calcium than full-fat milk. |
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Fact
Skimmed and semi-skimmed milk actually have more calcium,
says Harley Street nutritionist Alison Sullivan, because the
calcium is in the watery part, not the creamy part. 'If
you're trying to lose weight and cut fat from your diet,
skimmed milk is your best bet because not only is it lower
in fat but it also has 10mg more calcium in 200ml of milk
than full fat. Semi-skimmed is best for maintaining a
healthy lifestyle if you're not dieting. Full fat milk is
best for children, and adults who are underweight.' |
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Myth 8
Low-fat foods help you lose weight. |
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Fact
'Low-fat' or 'fat-free' doesn't necessarily mean low calorie
or calorie-free, warns Lyndel Costain. Check the calorie
content of foods, especially cakes, biscuits, crisps, ice
creams and ready meals. Extra sugars and thickeners are
often added to boost flavour and texture, so calorie content
may be only a bit less, or similar to standard products. New
Government guidelines now discourage the use of '% fat free'
claims. A low-fat food should contain no more than 3g fat
per 100g. 'And watching the quantity is important,' adds
nutritionist Alison Sullivan. 'People tend to have half-fat
spread but then use twice as much. And things like fruit
pastilles may be low in fat but are high in sugar which
turns to fat. So in low fat foods, look to see where else
the calories might come from.' |
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Myth 9
You
always gain weight when you stop smoking. |
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Fact
When
people stop smoking, some gain weight, some lose and some
stay the same. It's far healthier to be an overweight
non-smoker than not to bother giving up because you think
you'll put on weight. Alison Sullivan says: 'Where people
tend to fall down is when they replace a cigarette with
comfort food. Chewing sugar-free gum or snacking on
vegetable strips kept in the fridge is a good idea as you
can have these instead of reaching for the biscuit tin. And
something like a satsuma keeps your hands occupied until the
craving goes away.' |
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Myth 10
Bananas are fattening. |
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Fact
They
are actually low in fat. There is only half a gram of fat
and 95 calories in a banana. Not only that but they are
packed with potassium, come in their own packaging, are
clean and very handy as a snack! |
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