New focus on diets, same revelations
September 30, 2004
Berlin - Most diets, including fasting, eating food low on carbohydrates or going without a meal, may be doing more harm than good, a German nutrition expert says.
Susanne Klaus, professor for nutrition at the Potsdam University, near Berlin, has investigated most of the popular slimming schemes for the German news magazine Focus.
She has come to the conclusion that weight problems are caused "because we consume too much, eat too much fast food and have too little exercise".
Several slimming programmes cause more harm than good,
while diet
pills can actually damage the kidneys, she says.
Fasting has usually no effect because the body tries to make up for the loss of nutrients when the fast is over, she says.
Abstaining from fats and sugars can cause damage to organs because the body needs a certain amount of these substances. Too little fat, Klaus points out, can harm the gall bladder.
Many other weight-reduction plans - such as eating several small meals a day or avoiding breakfast or dinner - are not scientifically proven to be effective. Avoiding breakfast for instance normally leads to eating a bigger lunch or dinner.
Klaus also discounts low-calorie products, which, she says, often leaves one feeling hungry and consuming more than needed. - Sapa-dpa
Source:www.iol.co.za
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