A report published yesterday by l’HANDLES (National Security Agency of food, environment and labour), title “Evaluation des risques liés aux pratiques alimentaires d’amaigrissement” draws up a report highlighting imbalances and problems related to plans.
This public agency has studied for one year 15 diets (including the famous diets : Dukan, Cohen, Fricker, Mayo, Atkins, Chrononutrition, Weight Watchers, Montignac etc.) and drew the following conclusions :
The vast majority of plans cause nutritional imbalances. The Chairman of the Working Group, Jean-Michel Liang, the institut Pasteur de Lille says “Les régimes disponibles contiennent beaucoup trop peu de fibres, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrate and, on the other hand, beaucoup trop de sel”. All this is both harmful to the body and can be a real danger. The regime can decrease bone mass, therefore increase the risk of fractures, cause gallstones with diets or even cancer with fibre and complex carbohydrates diets !
The report also wishes to put warned some people practicing these regimes as for example the children that may be subject to a “perturbations de la croissance” ; older people with the “risque de dénutrition” ; athletes with the “troubles hormonaux” ; adolescents with possible ovulation disorders. This adds some people risk physiological situations.
Another major problem, “80 % topics include weight one year after the end of their regime” According to the handles. Le docteur Lecerf affirme que ” Each plan is less effective than the previous, et la reprise de poids plus importante”. The report advocates to practice sport to limit the weight recovery and especially to restrict energy intake depending on his activity. In addition ” Nothing can replace, in terms of health, a balanced diet, diversifiée”.
“60% des femmes et 44% des hommes souhaitent peser moins.” (HANDLES)
The big problem put forward by this document is the lack of supervision for those who are dieting. The specialist says “la science de l’obésité ne doit en aucun cas être faite par des médecins par correspondance”. Should he apply to a competent physician (doctor-nutritionist, endocrinologist, dietician, psychologist,etc.) dealing with really the patient's health instead of rushing on a diet. Plans are therefore of “pratiques à risques” According to the report. The management of obesity should “viser une réduction adaptée et prudente du poids, planned early (in order to address the factors to the origin) then stabilization with appropriate means, tout en veillant à préserver l’état de santé physique et psychologique à moyen et long terme.”