Fad diets might do more harm than good

Though a new one seemingly arrives each year boasting the potential for bigger and better results, fad diets might actually do more harm than good.

According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), fad diets often overemphasize one particular food or type of food, contradicting the longstanding medical emphasis on the health benefits of a balanced diet.

Whereas a balanced diet recommends eating a variety of foods from the Food Guide Pyramid, fad diets often place too great an emphasis on one specific group while minimizing if not completely ignoring the rest of the food groups...