9 Outdated Diet Trends That Need to Be Retired ASAP, According to Dietitians

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Reviewed by Dietitian Kelli McGrane, M.S., RD

Design elements: Getty Images. EatingWell design/Cassie Basford.

Despite what social media may have you believe, there’s no magical solution for better health. From very-low-calorie diets to detoxes, there’s no shortage of “quick-fix” dieting regimens—we’re looking at you, juice cleanses—recommended by self-proclaimed wellness experts. Despite their viral status online, these trends are typically not supported by science and can actually do more harm than good. In fact, some can be downright dangerous.

We spoke with registered dietitians about which dieting trends should be retired ASAP.

1. Strict Calorie Counting & Nutrient Tracking

When it comes to losing weight, reducing the amount of calories you consume is often necessary. However, calorie counting can quickly go from helpful to harmful. Same goes for counting macros—i.e., the practice of counting up the grams of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) to reach a specific target for each meal or day.

Counting calories or macros can cause or worsen an unhealthy obsession with food and disordered eating behavior. “One of the most concerning things that I often see is people trying to count calories, but they’re trying to stick to an unrealistic number of calories for the day. I’ve seen way more TikToks than I can count where someone is eating under 1,000 calories a day, which is actually dangerous to your body’s metabolism and ability to function normally,” says Jamie Nadeau, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist.

“This leads to undereating, which then leads to bingeing, feeling out of control around food and feeling like they’re ‘failing’ their diet when, really, they’re underfueling their body,” says Nadeau.

2. 1,200-Calorie Diets

Speaking of low calories, you’ve probably heard of the 1,200-calorie diet for weight loss, but is it actually beneficial for your health? The short answer: No, it is not.

“This low energy intake is simply not enough for an adult. In actuality, 1,200 calories is roughly the caloric requirement of a toddler!” says Anastasia Gialouris, RD, a registered dietitian from Brooklyn. In the long run, such a low-calorie intake can actually do more harm than good, she says: “When our bodies are not being fed enough, they go into ‘starvation mode’ and hold on to body fat out of fear of not having enough food. So, if fat loss is your goal (which it most likely is if you’re on a calorie-restricted diet), you are essentially self-sabotaging.”

Another consequence of a 1,200-calorie diet? You’re more likely to regain any weight you lose and might even end up at a higher weight than when you began the diet. “Your metabolism slows down, which can not only make weight loss even harder but also negatively impact digestion, energy levels and several other bodily functions,” says ⁣⁣Gialouris.

So how many calories should you be eating instead? According to the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, adult females need an estimated 1,600 to 2,000 calories per day, while adult males need 2,000 to 2,400 calories, depending on how active they are, plus other factors. Ultimately, the best way to determine the right amount of calories for you is to work with a registered dietitian or other nutrition professional.

3. Use of Diuretics and Laxatives

Diuretics and laxatives are substances that can temporarily reduce weight by ridding the body of water, making them popular for people trying to lose weight quickly. Diuretics work in the kidneys to essentially force more pee out of your body, while laxatives work in the colon by drawing more water into your poop—functions that are helpful for certain health ailments, like fluid retention or constipation, but dangerous when used by healthy adults.

Regular use of laxatives and diuretics can lead to longer-term complications and even death. Some side effects include:

Severe dehydration
Electrolyte imbalance
Vitamin deficiencies
Organ damage
Cardiac arrest

“Unless you have a medical reason to use diuretics or laxatives, they should be avoided at all costs,” says Wendy Lord, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist. “They interfere with the normal functioning of your body and can lead to nutrient deficiencies.”

Not only are diuretics and laxatives dangerous, but their effect on weight is short-lived. Because only water weight is lost, you’ll likely regain the weight as soon as you drink more water.

4. One-Food Diets

Variety is the spice of life, yet some influencers may try to convince you otherwise. A one-food diet, sometimes referred to as a mono diet, involves eating only a single food or consuming that food at every meal for several days or weeks. Popular one-food diets over the years have included the grapefruit diet, cabbage soup diet, garlic diet and grape diet.

Many of the foods promoted in mono diets are high in water content, which may help you feel fuller, but ultimately they’ll be unsatisfying as they are low in calories, fat and protein. As with any restrictive diet, a mono diet tends to be very low in calories and, if followed long-term, may lead to nutritional deficiencies, digestive disorders and disordered eating habits.

5. Weight-Loss Supplements

If something sounds too good to be true, chances are it is. Dietary supplements are a multibillion-dollar industry with no shortage of products claiming to “boost” your metabolism and help you lose weight. Not only are most of these products supported by little, if any, research, but they can also pose serious health risks.

“Weight-loss supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so they frequently contain inadequately tested ingredients that can have harmful effects on your body,” says Lord. For example, one study found that 776 dietary supplements promoting weight loss contained unapproved pharmaceutical ingredients, of which 20% contained one or more unapproved prescription ingredients, 57% contained diuretics, stimulants and other banned or never-FDA-reviewed drugs, and 178 included synthetic drugs.

Even if a product is free from banned substances, supplements aren’t always appropriate or effective for everyone. “Many weight-loss supplements are backed by poor research and don’t do what they claim to do. Taking them in large enough quantities to result in weight loss can cause high blood pressure, stroke or heart attack,” says Lord. Before purchasing a supplement, talk with your health care provider about whether the product is safe.

6. Avoiding Cultural Foods

When you Google “healthy food,” what comes up? Generally, you’ll get pictures of salads, quinoa and acai bowls, and plates resembling USDA’s MyPlate. This Western, narrow definition of “healthy” food may leave you wondering where cultural foods can fit into healthy eating.

“American-centric food and health practices are not the pinnacle of wellness, and the insistence that [they are] displays several pillars of white supremacy culture, [per experts] Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones. If there were indeed concerns about the healthfulness or intrinsic value of cultural foods, we simply wouldn’t see them persist through generation after generation within those cultures,” says Cara Harbstreet, M.S., RD, a registered dietitian.

In fact, it has often been demonstrated that, in many areas of the world, people can live completely healthy lives and prepare and consume a variety of delicious and nutrient-dense foods despite the fact that, according to American or Western standards, their nutrition is inadequate. “If cultural foods were genuinely unhealthy, we wouldn’t need constant reminders telling us such,” says Harbstreet.

Further, nutrition isn’t the only reason for us to eat cultural foods. “Cultural foods, in particular, can serve as a means of connection to ancestors, countries of origin, religious or spiritual practices, to name a few,” says Harbstreet.

7. Eliminating a Food Group

While the body is capable of a lot, it can’t make all the nutrients it needs to function properly. Nutrients that have to be obtained in your diet are called “essential,” and the best way to get all of these nutrients is by eating a varied, balanced diet. Many trendy diets call for limiting or eliminating entire food groups; for example, the keto diet, which is a very-low- or no-carb diet. Yet, when you eliminate an entire group of foods, you increase your risk for nutrient deficiencies.

Eliminating food groups can also have negative consequences for your relationship with food and cause you to crave those “forbidden” foods even more. “The biggest reason I advise against eliminating a food group (such as carbs or fats) is that it fosters an unhealthy relationship with food, which can eventually promote disordered eating. By labeling food, as we do by saying ‘this food is bad and I shouldn’t eat it,’ we are connecting that food to fear and guilt, and that is never something we should aim for,” says Gialouris. “This can further progress into a ‘binge-restrict cycle’ in which you cut out a whole list of foods (restrict), which are most likely foods you love.”

8. Vilifying Processed Foods

In the wellness sphere, the word “processed” is often associated with words like “bad” or “unhealthy.” Yet, nearly all foods you can buy at the grocery store are processed to some extent. By definition, processed foods are those that are changed from their natural state. For example, pasteurized eggs, frozen vegetables and canned beans are all technically “processed,” yet they contain important nutrients for a balanced diet.

So, where does the confusion stem from? Some processed foods are more heavily processed than others and contain little, if any, of the whole foods they originated from. As a result, these foods—often referred to as ultra-processed or highly processed—tend to be lower in essential nutrients and higher in saturated fat, sodium, added sugar and artificial additives and preservatives.

All foods can fit in a healthy diet. That said, it’s best to limit your intake of ultra-processed foods, like potato chips and sugary breakfast cereals. Instead, load up your shopping cart with more minimally processed options, like roasted almonds, plain yogurt, canned beans, whole grains and frozen fruits and vegetables. Not only are these “processed” options nutritious, but they often have a longer shelf life and can be less expensive than their fresh or “whole” counterparts.

9. Detox Diets

Detox diets are advertised as a way to remove toxins, cleanse your body and promote wellness and weight loss. And these claims aren’t exclusive to diets. Many companies also use the term “detox” to market their food and supplement products to health-conscious consumers. However, what these programs and companies don’t tell you is that your body is perfectly capable of getting rid of toxins on its own.

“Your body has a built-in, very efficient detox system. Waste products and toxins are removed from your body through your feces, urine, sweat and breath. Although eating a nutrient-dense diet will provide the nutrients your body’s detoxification pathways rely on, there is no such thing as a detox diet,” says Lord.

Because they’re typically very low in calories, detox diets can help you lose weight quickly. However, they aren’t sustainable, meaning you’ll likely just regain any weight you lost, and they can be dangerous or harmful to your health. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission have taken action against several companies selling detox programs for containing illegal, harmful ingredients, marketed with false claims of treating diseases, and unapproved for their directed use.

The takeaway? Detox diets don’t work and can have serious consequences for your health.

The Bottom Line

Diet trends come and go, and while some might seem appealing, it’s important to understand that most of these products or regimens aren’t science-based and may contain unregulated ingredients with potentially life-threatening side effects. Because many of these trends are restrictive, they can also have serious consequences for your physical, mental and emotional health. Avoid the clickbait and instead focus on tried-and-true strategies that nurture your body. Staying physically active, managing stress levels, getting quality sleep and eating a balanced diet are your best bets for living a healthier and happier life.

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