Listen: effects of fad dieting

More than half of UK adults (56%) say they’ve previously followed a fad diet to try to lose weight. 

Of the adults who had tried a fad diet, almost three quarters (71%) reported they didn’t lose any weight or didn’t lose as much as they wanted, and 11% gained weight.

The online survey commissioned by Slimming World also discovered more than a third (38%) of UK adults who’d tried a fad diet say they found it on social media and 35% said they could only stick to it for up to six days.

Aston spoke to Prof James Stubbs from University of Leeds & Dr Amanda Avery, health & research consultant dietitian at Slimming World.