Dieting
Dieting involves adjusting food intake to manage body weight—either to lose, gain, or maintain it. Although dieting is most commonly associated with weight loss, it encompasses various approaches that can cater to different health goals. A balanced diet typically follows guidelines that promote eating a variety of foods from all food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy, as outlined in initiatives like MyPlate by the USDA. This program emphasizes the importance of portion control and the inclusion of nutrient-rich foods while encouraging physical activity as a complementary practice to dietary changes.
While many diets exist, not all are considered healthy or sustainable. Fad diets, for example, often promise rapid weight loss but may lack essential nutrients and can lead to health issues. These diets typically emphasize extreme restrictions or specific food groups, often resulting in temporary results followed by weight regain. For long-term health, it is advised to adopt a balanced, varied, and moderate eating plan, ideally developed with the guidance of healthcare professionals like dietitians. Understanding the principles of healthy dieting can help individuals make informed choices that support their well-being and lifestyle goals.
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Dieting
Dieting is a practice in which people use food to increase, decrease, or maintain their weight. People change their diet, or what they eat, to gain weight, lose weight, or keep their weight the same. However, dieting typically is associated with losing weight. Many types of diets exist, but not all of them are considered healthy. Many people exercise in addition to dieting for optimal health.
MyPlate
A healthy diet includes a balanced eating plan that incorporates a mix of foods from all of the food groups. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintains healthy eating guidelines. For many years, it used a food pyramid to denote healthy foods and servings from the basic food groups. In 2011, it switched to a program known as MyPlate.
MyPlate is a program that shows people of all ages how to eat healthy based on age, gender, height, weight, and activity level. The five food groups include fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. A mix of foods from these groups should be eaten to maintain a healthy diet. Additionally, a person should participate in some sort of physical activity (such as walking or running, playing sports, or lifting weights) most days of the week.
The MyPlate diagram is a plate divided into four sections with a round glass to the upper right. Each section of the plate is a different color to denote each food group. The largest section (lower left-hand side) of the plate is green for vegetables. This means that vegetables should be the largest serving a person eats. Vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and carrots are low in calories and contain many vitamins and minerals.
The area above vegetables is red for fruits. Fruits include blueberries, grapes, and apples. The fruit section is smaller than the vegetable section, and vegetables and fruits together make up half of the plate. Fruits are slightly higher in calories than vegetables, but they contain many vitamins and minerals.
To the right of fruits is the orange grains section. This includes foods that contain wheat, oats, rice, barley, or other grains. Some examples include cereal, pasta, and rice. There are two types of grains: whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains, which contain the entire grain (bran, germ, and endosperm), are considered the healthiest type of grains. Whole grain foods include brown rice, whole wheat bread, and bulgur. Refined grains are processed to remove the bran and germ from the grain. Refined grains are finer and lighter in color and include white bread, white flour, and white rice. These foods have fewer nutrients than whole grain foods. Sometimes, refined grains are enriched with vitamins and iron that are added back to these food items after they are processed. Some foods contain a mix of whole and refined grains.
The purple area below grains is protein. Protein not only includes meats such as beef, chicken, and fish but also includes eggs, beans, and nuts. Protein is needed to help build and repair muscles and tissues in the body.
The blue circle to the upper right of the plate is dairy. Dairy includes foods such as milk (and milk alternatives such as soy or almond milk), cheese, and yogurt. Dairy contains calcium, which helps to build strong bones and strengthen teeth. Dairy foods should be eaten in moderation because many of them are high in fat and calories.
While technically not part of the food plate diagram, oils also are included in the MyPlate program. Oils are liquid fats such as vegetable oil, olive oil, and corn oil. These come from vegetables and nuts and contain many nutrients; however, they should be eaten in small quantities. Some foods such as avocados, nuts, and fish are high in natural oils.
Solid fats such as butter and lard are fats that are solid at room temperature. These come from animal-based foods or can be made from vegetable oils. They are not considered healthy and should be consumed in minimal amounts.
Types of Diets
Many types of diets exist, and people should tailor a diet to their desired outcome. A diet used to gain weight is not the same diet that should be used to lose weight. Many factors should be considered when a person begins a diet. People should consult a physician or a dietician (a person who medically advises others on food and health topics) before beginning any type of diet.
Regardless of the outcome, the focus of a healthy diet should be on long-term health and not short-term results. Losing or adding weight gradually is healthier than seeing fast progress. Healthy diets should follow the guidelines set forth by MyPlate. It should include balance, variety, and moderation. This means it should contain a variety of foods from the basic food groups. Foods high in fat, salt, and sugar should be consumed in limited quantities.
Not every diet is considered healthy. These are known as fad diets. People generally use fad diets to drop weight quickly. People who use these diets usually have only short-term results and gain back weight once they return to their previous eating patterns.
Fad diets can be very unhealthy. They usually restrict what a person eats and involve eating very low-calorie foods instead of a balance of all foods. These diets can make a person sick because they do not provide the body with the nutrients it needs to function.
Some examples of fad diets include the cabbage soup diet, which advises people to eat mostly cabbage soup for a week to lose weight. Another is the Atkins diet, which advises people to eat foods low in carbohydrates and high in fat.
Fasting and detox diets are other types of fad diets. These involve either restricting or cutting out certain foods (such as grains or dairy) to cleanse the body of harmful toxins. No scientific evidence exists that supports the claims made by fasting and detox diets.
Bibliography
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th ed., USDA, 2020, www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/Dietary‗Guidelines‗for‗Americans-2020-2025.pdf. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
"Nutrition and Health Eating." Healthy People 2030, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/nutrition-and-healthy-eating. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
Richter, Amy, and Jamie Smith. "How to Follow a Healthy Diet." Medical News Today, Healthline Media, 21 Aug. 2024, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153998. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
"What Is MyPlate?" MyPlate, USDA, www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/what-is-myplate. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.