How to spot a fad diet - Mia Nacamulli
1,034,334 Views
30,997 Questions Answered
TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
Conventional wisdom about diets, including government health recommendations, seems to change all the time. And yet ads routinely come out claiming to have THE answer about what we should eat. So how do we distinguish what’s actually healthy from what advertisers just want us to believe is good for us? Mia Nacamulli gives the facts on fad diets.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
How unhealthy are those fad diets? Michael Pollan, Professor of Journalism at UC Berkley, goes into depth about fad diets and gives some very succinct advice about nutrition in his article, “Unhappy Meals.”
Clearly, different diets are better for different people. In this easy-to-read worksheet, University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture explains the nature of fad diets and tables the disadvantages of common regimes, with everything ranging from expense to flatulence. If you’re interested in how individualized diets can be, check out this NY Times article discussing the idea of “personalized nutrition.”
What’s the deal with detox? Kidshealth.org lays out the basics and how you can flag a detox fad diet. Feel like you can discern between a healthy and a fad diet? For a little more help, they also have this short article with some simple tips on spotting a fad diet.
Click here to wet your taste-buds with more information about the Chew and Spit Diet, the Tapeworm Diet or the Arsenic Diet. Have you heard of any fad diets yourself?
Clearly, different diets are better for different people. In this easy-to-read worksheet, University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture explains the nature of fad diets and tables the disadvantages of common regimes, with everything ranging from expense to flatulence. If you’re interested in how individualized diets can be, check out this NY Times article discussing the idea of “personalized nutrition.”
What’s the deal with detox? Kidshealth.org lays out the basics and how you can flag a detox fad diet. Feel like you can discern between a healthy and a fad diet? For a little more help, they also have this short article with some simple tips on spotting a fad diet.
Click here to wet your taste-buds with more information about the Chew and Spit Diet, the Tapeworm Diet or the Arsenic Diet. Have you heard of any fad diets yourself?
About TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Mia Nacamulli
- Director Avi Ofer
- Animator Avi Ofer
- Narrator Addison Anderson
