Looking to lose weight? Australia’s most popular fad diet revealed

Australia’s most popular fad diet has been named, and no, it’s not the Mediterranean or highly-controversial Paleo diet. The team at Supplement Place, based in the UK, have analysed diet trends and data from around the world to discover the diets which have seen the biggest growth in popularity, and it looks like Aussies can’t get enough of the Keto diet, which is all about minimising carbs and upping fats.

If you’ve never heard of the Keto diet before, after the first few days, your body enters ketosis, a state where the body uses fat for energy, which leads to rapid weight loss. And to no surprise, the popular eating plan also took out the top spot as the world’s favourite diet.

The WW plan (formerly Weight Watchers), which emphasises the importance of portion control, food choices, and slow, consistent weight loss, was named the second most popular fad diet in the world, while intermittent fasting, which involves consuming all your food for the day during an eight-hour window, wasn’t too far behind coming in at number three.

Meanwhile, the Slimming World diet, which encourages you to swap high-fat foods with low-fat ones like fruit, vegetables and pasta, and the Dukan diet, a high protein, low carbohydrate eating plan, rounded out the top five. Other popular diets that made up the top 10 included veganism, the Mediterranean diet, the Paleo diet, pescetarianism and vegetarianism.

The team at Supplement Place also spoke with nutritionist Jessica Shand about dieting and the dangers of following a fad diet. Jessica said while fad diets are tempting, it’s best to stay clear of them and opt for well-balanced eating plans instead.

“The best advice for people wanting to lose weight is not to start restrictive diets or get sucked into the fads we’re bombarded with online and are sometimes impossible to avoid!” she said.

“Instead, my advice would be to set clear and realistic intentions on what it is you want to achieve long term and that you will be able to enjoy (nobody wants something they dread doing, it’s no way to live!).”

Jessica added as well as sticking to a well-balanced diet, proper sleep and regular exercise are also important when it comes to getting results.

“Seek help and advice from qualified experts in nutrition and wellness and don’t go to social media influencers for advice when it comes to your health,” she said. “Good, well-balanced and wholesome nutrition, proper sleep and regular exercise work together to deliver long-lasting results. That will not only help you reach your goals but most importantly will help you feel your best and help you to thrive!”

She added: “Fad diets that promise quick-fix weight loss are not the answer, they never were!”

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.