Worst Diets for Health 2022

Do you know anyone trying to lose weight?  Have you asked them what weight-loss diet they are on?  Many people look towards fad diets promising quick weight loss.  Some people go on a cleanse diet.  But is that fad diet healthy?  Is the fad diet missing food groups, missing nutrients your body needs?  Watching TV, I heard a newscaster say, “I am going on the Whole30 diet.  I do it every January.”   Sad for her as she is choosing to go on a diet ranked as one of the “Worst Diets” by U.S News & World Report.  Last week we talked about weight loss diets that will help you lose weight and are good for your health including:  Weight Watchers (WW), the Flexitarian Diet and the Volumetrics Diet. 

If you are overweight, losing weight is a good choice.  But you don’t have to choose an unhealthy fad diet to lose weight.  Too many people want a quick fix and then choose diets that are actually bad for their health like the newscaster I heard on TV.  Why?  Many don’t want to face the challenge of learning to eat healthier and exercising more.  This week when you are at the gym or out and about, listen and you will undoubtedly hear about people going on the Whole30 diet, a low-carb diet, a keto diet.  As I noted last week, each year the US News & World Report ranks the Best Diets Overall for good health.  But in this ranking are diets that fall at the bottom of the list. What diets are ranked the lowest and why?  Let’s review some of the 2022 ranked “not-so-good for you” diets and provide you with some pros and cons of these diets.  What diets are ranked “bottom of the barrel” and diets you want to stay away from in 2022?

What ranking does US News & World Report give the Keto diet?  For 2022, the experts looked at 40 diets and ranked the Keto Diet as the worst diet to be on as it ranked at #40 out of 40 for Best Diets and as #19 out of 40 for Best Weight-Loss diets for 2022.  Why would someone choose such a poorly ranked diet?  Perhaps they are sold on the promise of quick weight loss.  Some relatives say they know people that successfully lose weight on the Keto diet but then end up not only gaining the weight back but gaining back even more weight than they lost. 

Keto Diet – This diet is high in fat and low in carbs.  Not just low in carbs, but very low in carbs restricting carbs to about 20 grams a day or about 80 calories a day from carbs.  Unfortunately for your health, the experts rank it near the bottom for health giving it 1.9 out of 5 points for “healthy”, 1.4 out of 5 points for Easy to Follow and 2.2 out of 5 points for long-term weight loss. Yes, you may lose weight short-term but this is a very hard diet to stick to long-term. 

What are the pros and cons of the Keto Diet?

Pros – some people are not as hungry on this diet as fatty foods are filling foods.  Some had better blood sugar levels as carbs were being so sharply curtailed.  Some studies have shown that people can lose a greater amount of weight on the keto diet vs other weight loss diets.  Other studies found that being on a keto diet may negatively affect physical performance. 

Cons – the diet is so low in carbs that it provides less carbs than nutritional experts recommend.  People do lose weight but researchers note to maintain this weight loss one may have to go on, off and then on the diet again to maintain that weight loss.  The keto diet may be hard to follow for anyone who likes their pizza, spaghetti, bread, and desserts.  I love bread and would not want to be on a diet that cut out all bread.  

Keto diet, high in fat, low in carbs.

Whole 30 Diet

Whole30 diet as #35 in Best Diets Overall and #35 in Best-Weight Loss diets.  So not a good endorsement of this diet, either for good health or for weight-loss. 

What foods do you eliminate on this diet?

For 30 days, they tell you to avoid a number of foods.  This diet claims that certain food including sugar, grains, dairy and legumes are the foods that negatively impact your health.  Grains are a food group on MyPlate that provide many essential nutrients we need in our diets.  Whole grains are especially healthy and this diet tells you to avoid them.  Not a healthy “rule” to follow. 

What foods does the Whole30 diet eliminate for 30 days?

• No added sugar whether real or artificial.  Forget the maple syrup on your pancakes, the sweetener for your ice tea, the Diet Coke. Not even sugar less gum is allowed.
• No alcohol – no wine, beer or mixed drinks for you.
• No grains – so no bread, no cereal, no toast, no bagels, no quinoa, no crackers (and therefore you are not eating the nutrients this food group provides)
• No legumes/beans – this means no peanut butter, no kidney beans, baked beans, black-eyed peas.  Forget the soy sauce – banned.  And no soy, not even soy sauce.
• No Dairy – no milk, yogurt, sour cream, no ice cream no cheese.  No cheese pizza for you. Good bye calcium and vitamin D.

What foods are permitted on this diet?

• Protein foods = meat, seafood
• Vegetables and some fruit
• Herbs, spices and seasonings

Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, has also evaluated the Whole30 diet on her “Smart Nutrition” website. 

1. The Whole30 diet is very restrictive.  Eating out at restaurants, eating out at other people’s homes would be quite difficult on this diet.
2. Many healthy foods are eliminated:  Any diet that eliminates food groups like dairy and grains, also eliminates the nutrients that those food groups provide.  Whole grains are foods we want to add to our diet for fiber and many trace minerals.  Dairy provides much needed calcium and vitamin D to our day.  So many Americans are deficient in vitamin D that the last thing they should do is cut more vitamin D out of their diets. Beans, peanut butter, nuts are very healthy and we should be adding more of these to our diets, not cutting back on them or eliminating them for 30 days.
3. Time-consuming – you will need to shop and prepare a lot of meals at home as the diet plan is quite restrictive.
4. It is not a lifestyle change – it is not a plan that helps you learn how to eat healthier and exercise such as walks are mentioned but the change in diet is their key to good health.
5. US News & World Report noted “Whole30 lacks scientific support and is severely restrictive, according to the experts.  Its short-term approach and long-term promises didn’t win over the panelists.”   Further, they note going on the diet would lead to “temporary weight loss”.  Who wants to spend the time and effort to lose weight and then gain it all back because the diet they choose promotes “temporary weight loss”?

What are the pros of this diet plan?

• The diet does emphasize minimally processed food. 
• The diet recommends no added sugar.  Most Americans get too much added sugar in their diets so cutting back on added sugar is a good thing.
• The diet promotes eating more fish and more vegetables.

What other diets are ranked low on the Best Diets and/or the Best Weight-Loss Diets’ list?

Atkins Diet is ranked number 37 out of 40 diets for healthy eating, near the bottom of the rankings.  For weight loss, the diet ranked 12 out of 40.  Many people still go on the “Atkins Diet” to lose weight.  Why go on a diet ranked so poorly for healthy eating?    US News & World Report  states: “is not a good all-purpose diet, experts said.”  A meta-analysis study in Nutrients in December 2020 noted that the Atkins Diet can result in weight loss and even improve HDL (the good cholesterol) but long-term the effects on raised LDL (the bad cholesterol) and total cholesterol were concerning.  An increase in LDL is a risk factor for heart disease. 

Alkaline Diet – ranked #38 out of 40 for Best Weight Loss diets, so near the bottom.  U.S. News & World Report stated this diet, performed the worst in overall weight loss, fast weight loss, diabetes, heart health and easiness to follow.  Why anyone would go on a diet to lose weight and then choose a diet that actually performed the worst for weight loss is mystifying to me.  This diet is not based on science but claims eating foods that form acid, like red meat, changes your pH and gets it out of balance.  But science has shown, the foods we eat really don’t changes our body’s pH.  So, since there is no science to back on the basis of this diet and it is rated the worst for weight loss, skip this diet.

Paleo Diet – so many of my students used to rave about being on the Paleo Diet.  But not so much anymore.  And that is a good thing.  The Paleo Diet is ranked number 31 out of 39.  This diet is based on such an odd premise that if cavemen didn’t eat it, you shouldn’t eat it.  They don’t bother to mention that cavemen didn’t live a very long life.  Similar to some other weight loss diets, this diet asks you to give up food groups like dairy and grains and also legumes.  Again, if you give up a food group, you are giving up on many important nutrients these food groups provide. It is very hard to take in enough calcium and vitamin D if one has no dairy in their diet.  Grains, especially whole grains, add important minerals to our diet, add fiber and phytonutrients.  Why choose to be on a diet ranked so low for good health?

So, if you are looking to eat better for good health and also drop a few pounds in 2022, there are many good diet plans to choose from.  There are also a number of fad diets one should avoid.  As I often note, healthy eating doesn’t mean giving up all the foods you like to eat, but adding some foods that promote good health like more fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, and more low-fat dairy to your day.

 Sources:  Weight Watchers (WW) , Flexitarian Diet , Volumetrics Diet , US News & World Report , Best Diets Overall , US News & World Report , Keto Diet , Whole 30 Diet , eliminate , Smart Nutrition , noted , US News & World Report , Nutrients , stated , Paleo Diet  Image Sources:  Rules , keto diet , PJ