It can seem nearly impossible to determine which "latest and greatest" weight loss fads are effective and healthy. As doctors of a Phoenix weight loss clinic, it's our job to peruse the newest diet and weight loss fads, review scientific evidence, and determine whether or not the fad is worth sharing.

Here are our comments on 3 weight loss trends which have received attention in 2012.

Phoenix Weight Loss - Which Trends are Healthy?

• Dukan Diet. Popularized by Princess Kate, the Dukan Diet emerged in France. While the diet isn't exactly like the Atkins diet, they do share similarities. It's an ultra-high protein and low-carb diet which allows binging from time to time. It boasts rapid initial weight-loss and results in a final "maintenance plan" where you can eat whatever you want 6-days a week. Here's the problem: moderate fat and carbs are not the enemy. Healthy fats are required by the body. One of the reasons you lose fat in high-protein diets is that your body goes through ketosis, breaking down fat cells to get energy for healthy brain function. Long-term ketosis is not dangerous if done properly. The problem we see with this diet is the constant attention to structure. The ultimate goal of a diet (outside weight loss) should be to help the dieter gain insight into better eating habits in relation to current patterns. This diet seems to do the opposite of this and likely lead to yo-yo weight-loss/gain which often accompanies fad diets.Ultimately, we agree with Pub Med; the Dukan Diet is not your best Phoenix weight loss option.

• Chocolate Diet. This news had Twitter followers tweeting like mad - eat Chocolate and lose weight? An article published by the Archives of Internal Medicine reported a study involving 1000 adults 20-85-years old. On average, those who exercised regularly and ate chocolate 3-4 times a week had a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than average adults. While further research is needed, a distinct correlation may exist. One proposed mechanism is that the high antioxidants in chocolate help decrease inflammation. In turn the the antioxidants may balance hormones that facilitate weight loss. The funding for this study was not hershey or Giodiva, it was the NIH. Our advice: make sure you consume lower-calorie dark chocolate (60-70%), which is higher in anti-oxidants, in addition to observing a well-balanced diet and regular exercise.

• Maintenance First. This "Fresh Start' approach is the most exciting new diet trend - and one we feel will find permanent medical/scientific credibility. Discouraged by the backsliding prevalence in many health-based diets Stanford researchers spent the eight weeks of the Fresh Start study keeping the focus off weight and on mindfulness. Many weight loss programs incorporate cognitive behavioral therapies - meaning they help you change your thinking/eating/exercise habits only after you have lost the weight. This is more fear based because the dieters don;t want to gain the weight back. In this study the dieters were instructed not to lose any weight for 2 months. Their job was to look for healthy alternatives to their favorite foods, be mindful of what they are eating, and look at incorporating healthier lifestyle habits. After 8 weeks of this they were instructed to try some of the healthier options. In other words they started with the end in mind, and it worked. Weight loss compared to the control group was about the same. However the participants cut their "re-gain" weight by more than half after the first year compared to the control. 

This is the type of weight loss plan we promote at our Phoenix weight loss clinic. In fact all three of these trends point to something useful.

The reduction in carbohydrates in the Dukan diet is great advise but definitely more extreme and unrealistic to maintain. The use of antioxidants to reduce inflammation is always a good idea. Consuming small amounts of dark chocolate to curb appetite and reduce inflammation is recommended. Just be sure this is not at the expense of a significant increase in caloric consumption. If we put all the positive aspects of these trends together we have a diet that consists of eating things that taste good, has high antioxidants (preferably fruits and veggies), and conscious of carbohydrate consumption.

At Southwest Integrative Medicine we promote weight loss that coincides with an improvement in weight related health conditions while the weight comes off. If the weight loss does not last neither will the health improvement. To learn more about our weight loss programs in Phoenix, click on the link below to learn more.