New Year’s resolutions are in full swing, with losing weight being one of the top 2025 resolutions, according to Statista.

“I definitely want to lose weight in the new year,” travel and tourism Fanshawe student, Kylee Muncaster said. “I don’t really have a plan, but I do want to lose the weight for the summer.”

Fifty per cent of people trying to achieve weight loss goals turn to fad diets annually, according to the Boston Medical Centre.

“My definition of a fad diet is something that is a temporary change to your diet or routine that you do to achieve a specific result, whether that is to lose weight, gain muscle or look a certain weight,” Registered Dietitian, Samia Khan said. “So, it could be keto, it could be a smoothie diet or a banana diet. Anything that is a bit restrictive.”

However, these restrictive diets are often unsuccessful.

“I think people are kind of hopeful in terms of what they want to achieve, and it has a lot to do with a lack of knowledge,” Khan continued. “When they’re not knowledgeable about how to go about, for example, losing weight, they could go for a more restrictive route depending on when they want to achieve the result and some of them do work temporarily, and then they get happy that they’re seeing results, but then they often circle back to where you were, or even below your baseline.”

Because of the promise of quick results, fad diets have become popular, especially when discussing New Year’s resolutions.

“It’s very easy to go on a fad diet because there’s so much information out there and people are just looking for something that can be done quickly and can give them results. But really, at the end of the day, they need to see that isn’t sustainable long-term. Can they live with this diet for the rest of their life and be happy?” Khan said. “If the answer is no and they don’t want to stick to it, then it’s not going to work long term.”

On top of not always being effective, these fad diets can also pose health risks if not fully researched.

“I think if you follow anything that’s restrictive, that can negatively affect your health depending on where you are,” Khan said. “If you’re struggling with digestive issues and then you go on a keto diet and you’re not eating any fruits and vegetables or you’re not eating enough fibre, that can really cause more [glycemic index] issues for you. It could definitely come with risks.”

Losing weight can be a very healthy choice but there are more sustainable ways to reach your goals than with fad diets, Khan said.

“Working with a dietitian, a health professional, to create a plan for yourself that really assesses where you are right now in life. So, what’s your blood work looking like? What’s your current eating habits? Then creating something that is sustainable and creating a goal for yourself that is more long term.”

If you’re New Year’s resolutions do involve restricting your diet, it is never a bad idea to reach out to a healthcare professional to ensure you are maintaining your health.

You can make an appointment with Fanshawe’s Fowler Kennedy Medical Clinic either in person or by calling 519-452-4230.