It seems that every time you open a newspaper, or turn on the TV, or go online, someone is pushing a new "fad" diet.
They range from the no carbohydrate diets, the Acai berry supplements, and tricks to make you lose weight without any effort on your part.
But do fad diets really work? Let us take a look at some of them.

• High Protein, low carbohydrate diets.
  

In this category, the Atkins diet is probably the best known.
People on this diet cannot eat carbohydrates.
The theory is that the combination of carbohydrates and proteins are deadly.
This is not true; carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet.
You do lose a lot of weight at first, but then you are very hungry most of the time.
And you feel tired, because carbohydrates provide the body with fuel it needs for energy.

• Acai berry

This has received a lot of press recently.
In truth, Acai berries are nothing more than an antioxidant.

• Fasting, or cleansing from specific ingredients

The evidence that has come out does not support the idea of a detox diet as effective in losing weight.
Health professionals agree that moderation in all food areas, combined with exercise, is the correct path.

• Avoiding high fructose corn syrup

Scientific studies have concluded that there is nothing to the idea that consuming high fructose corn syrup causes obesity.
Nutritionally, sugar and high fructose corn syrup are the same.
In fact, they are both metabolized similarly and have the same number of calories -- 4 calories per gram.

• Not eating at night

You might not feel comfortable if you do this, but our bodies do not metabolize food any differently at night than during the day.
Weight gain is predicated on how many calories you take in versus how many you burn-not when you eat.