The truth about five dieting myths

Setting the facts straight when it comes to healthy eating and weight loss

● Grapefruit dissolves fat
Sadly scientists have yet to discover a miracle food or supplement that will burn fat. Grapefruit is, however, extremely low in calories – half a grapefruit contains just 24 calories, which explains why it’s so often recommended in diet plans as a healthy breakfast idea.

 

● Calories eaten late at night are more fattening than those eaten during the day
Wrong. It’s simply that we’re more susceptible to over-eating at night. It’s what you eat and how much you eat that’s important, not when.

 

● Gaining weight is inevitable as you get older
Wrong. Love handles and double chins don’t have to be part and parcel of growing older. A much more likely explanation for middle-age spread is that our physical activity decreases rapidly with age.

 

● Low-fat foods are the key to losing weight
Wrong. Eating one thick and creamy yogurt that you really enjoy is better than eating three low-fat yogurts that leave you feeling unsatisfied. Reduced fat doesn’t mean low fat or low calorie – products are often still fundamentally high in fat and contain plenty of calories. Diets that include moderate amounts of fat (between 30-35 per cent of calories from fat) are more effective at helping people to lose weight than very low-fat diets.

 

● Skipping meals is a good way to cut calories
Wrong. Skipping meals can interfere with appetite regulation, leading to over-eating or bingeing. People who lose weight after dieting and skipping meals are more likely to regain weight than those who eat regularly.

 

 

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