"Fad Diet Critique"
Jacquelyn Fox #59
The fad diet I chose was the Sensa Diet. It consists of sprinkling either a sweet or salty powder onto your food before you eat it with the intention of reducing the persons appetite, or making them feel fuller. The Sensa website states that by intensifying the smell, the SENSA® Tastants will make you feel full and more satisfied. 1. The sprinkles are sodium-free, sugar-free, calorie-free and gluten-free. Sensa does contain lactose, maltodextrin and carmine which are ingredients that may cause allergic reactions to some people.[1] With this diet, I found a lot of descriptions stating that you would not have to change the way you ate or exercised and that by just using sensa, weight would come off. [2] In a clinical study of Sensa, 1,436 participants lost an average of 30.5 pounds over a six-month period without changing their usual diet and exercise routines. [3] Three good components of a good exercise program are nutrition, exercise and modification of behavior. In this diet, theres no mention about changing the foods you eat or adding an exercise plan. Fad diets shouldn't just be about losing weight, they should also make sure that people are getting the proper nutrients they need and including exercise as part of their routine because of all the added benefits it can bring also. The sensa website states that all the ingredients are generally regarded as safe by the FDA and that there are no stated side effects.[1] I looked through reviews of the Sensa diet on Amazon and found possible side effects mentioned which include increased blood pressure, diarrhea and constipation. [4] Overall, this is not a good diet to follow because it does not have much proof that it works, it is not nutritionally better because it does not encourage better eating habits or exercise and most of the reviews stated that the sensa diet did not work for them.
1. How Sensa Works. Sensa Weight Loss. 2012. Available at: http://www.sensa.com/how-sensa-works.htm. Accessed March 26, 2013.
2. Marx P. Sensa: The Easiest Diet Ever. Harpers Bazaar. 2010. Available at: http://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/health-wellness-articles/easy-diet-sensa-0111. Accessed March 26, 2013.
3. Renee J. Sensa Diet Information. Livestrong. 2011. Available at: http://www.livestrong.com/article/418240-sensa-diet-information/. Accessed March 26, 2013.
4. Sensa Weight Loss Program Customer Reviews. Amazon. 2013. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/Sensa-Weight-Loss-Program-Accidental-Transforming/product-reviews/0981538185/ref=cm_cr_pr_btm_link_5?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addOneStar&pageNumber=5&showViewpoints=0. Accessed March 26, 2013.
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