Pills, crash diets not way to lose weight

Amanda Japak said she stays in shape the old-fashioned way -- she eats right, exercises and stays away from fad diets and diet pills.

"I have friends that use diet pills and don't need to," said Japak (freshman-chemical engineering). "My friends don't have weight problems, but sometimes they just want to fit into a certain dress."

According to Dr. Barbara Rolls, professor of nutrition at the University, the need to fit into an item of clothing or to look good for a special occasion causes people to search for an easy way to lose weight through fad diets or diet pills.

"Unfortunately, there is no magic solution to losing weight," Rolls said.

Unless an individual's health is affected by body weight, one should not take any kind of prescription, as many of these drugs affect the brain and the nervous system, Rolls said. Many diet pills cause nervousness and anxiety and have side effects, she said.

Besides the many side effects that can occur, many diet pills are habit-forming and cause the dieter to gain the weight back, Rolls said. The dieter is dependent on the diet drug and forgets how to eat normally once off the drug, she said.

Japak agrees and wonders how portrayals of quick weight loss through diet pills and fat-free foods in advertisements could be healthy for the body, she said.

These advertisements, found in magazines, often promote quick weight loss through fat-free foods and encourage people to increase their intake of fat-free foods, creating more problems, Rolls said.

Stacy Rich (senior-industrial engineering) said she has heard stories of dieters having their heart rate speed up when on crash diets.

"I know there are people who will do anything to lose weight fast, regardless of the temptations of food," she said.

Those who seek to lose weight should be aware of how many calories a food contains and especially look at the calorie count on so-called healthy "fat-free" foods, Rolls said. Often, dieters see the fat-free label on a food and find it is a license to eat more of the food, causing greater weight gain, she said.

"Ultimately, these diet companies want to sell as much of their product as possible," she said.

Laura Kruskall, director of the personal training center at The Athletic Club, 1510 Martin St., agreed that watching the labels on certain fat-free foods is essential to weight loss.

One should not consume fewer than 1,200 calories per day, as it is considered extremely unhealthy, Kruskall said. A dieter should eat throughout the day; however, he or she should also watch the size of the portions, Kruskall added.

"The worst thing a dieter can do is skip a meal, as the body's metabolism slows down and burns less fat and calories in later meals," Kruskall said.

Rather than skip meals, Rolls suggests students find a diet plan they can keep for life.

When eating on campus, look for food substitutes, such as eating tomato sauce on pasta dishes rather than cheese, and eating more rice and pasta with meals rather than meats, she added. Also, eat dry foods, such as pretzels, in moderation as foods with a low water content cause the individual to feel less full and consume more calories, she said.

Dieters should also pay attention to the portions they consume when eating out as portions are measured in different standards, with no thought to the variety of sizes of those eating the meal, Rolls said. When eating out, try not to eat the entire portion, or take a doggie bag home to be eaten later, she said.