DIY diets or custom diets?



An excessively caloric diet and a sedentary lifestyle determine the creation of an "obesogenic environment" that favors the accumulation of extra pounds.

To lose weight, the most practical solution, at hand, could be to follow one of the many diets found in newspapers and on the internet.

Every year we "pack" it, we need to say, always new ones, often with very fanciful names. If then, these diets are followed, as often happens, by some famous person or VIP, what better guarantee that the "product" in question actually works?

So why, despite all these "fashion" diets, the problem of overweight and obesity is alas, also on the increase? In fact, in Italy there are over five million obese people and sixteen million Italians are overweight. And above all, who knows how the biggest obese live in the countries from which these miraculous diets come (rich countries of America in particular)?

One would say that well you know, no one is a prophet in his own country and that these diets in those places have not been properly received and disseminated and have had to leave the country to carry their message of health and beauty around the world. It will be ... but in reality, the problem is another. All these diets have strong limits.

Essentially, they do not take into account the uniqueness of each individual and the individuality of the case, such as lifestyle, causes that led to overweight, energy requirements, nutritional needs, relationship with food, motivation, difficulty and willingness to change .

Even if these diets give results in certain cases, they are mostly transitory results and above all, if followed for a long period of time, they can be dangerous for health because they are unbalanced, excessively proteic or lacking in some nutrients. Many of these diets are monotonous and do not allow to change the way foods and dishes should be during both the week and the day.

Diet is a tailor-made therapy, so every dietary-nutritional intervention must be strictly customized, taking into account the person's history, physical activity, the relationship with food, food preferences, culinary skills, family and social context, the presence or otherwise of motivation to change and so on.

Dr. Elena Longo Nutritionist

Previous Article

Secure attachment with Australian flowers

Secure attachment with Australian flowers

The human being by its nature has the tendency to structure solid emotional ties . According to psychologist John Bowlby , who developed attachment theory , a milestone in the history of psychology, human beings are biologically predisposed to developing intimate relationships from early childhood: the newborn, in fact, establishes a preferential relationship with the figure of care, follows her, is comforted by her closeness, looks for her in moments of stress...

Next Article

3 varieties of sunflower seeds: benefits and recipes

3 varieties of sunflower seeds: benefits and recipes

Sunflower seeds are harvested from the common sunflower; rich in vitamins, iron and magnesium, they are also known for their anticancer properties . We see benefits, use and some special recipe with the three varieties of sunflower seeds! Sunflower seeds, a mine of benefits Rich in essential fatty acids , the small savory seeds contain a good dose of chlorogenic acid, linoleic acid and folic acid; 45% of "good" fats are associated with almost 30% of proteins and proteins and about 20% of carbohydrates...