Do you believe the above statement: Diet Food (dieting) is “Good” or even think it necessary? As far as food quality, diet food is usually below par for taste, texture, and flavor. I mean, does anyone really want to eat a brownie filled with added fiber and fake sugar when you can partake in a rich chocolate torte like this one? I didn’t think so, and we shouldn’t have to.
So, now that we’ve established “diet” food doesn’t taste better, we have to ask- could it be that it is better (healthier) for us?
Let’s take a look at what the research suggest about diets and diet products:
1. Diets don’t work long term for weight management.
The truth is dieting sets us up to fail. Dieting has a 97% failure rate (within 5 years of starting) and actually predicts future weight gain. In a study on teenage girls, research suggests that dieting teens are more likely to gain weight and become obese than non-dieting teens. Yes, you read that right. Also, a recent study even showed that starved brain cells eat themselves (I don’t know about you but I don’t want less brain cells!).
2. Diet food may be worse for your health and weight.
Research suggests that substitutes can actually lead you to overeat and gain weight.
Health Halos: Research suggests that low-fat and organic labels trigger people to eat more calories. This could be true of many of the “diet” products as well. Have you ever bought a low-fat or sugar-free dessert and eaten 2 or more than you would have of a “real” dessert? This is health halo effect; in the end, it is better off to eat the real dessert and be satisfied with less.
Research suggests that eating whole foods burns more energy than processed foods. Most diet foods are just highly processed food with added fiber, fake sugar, and added nutrients to make them seem healthier for you. Like the study suggested they do not take as much energy for your body to break them down. BUT more than that, diet products also don’t compare to real food because they don’t have all the healthy nutrients your body needs like phytochemicals, antioxidents, vitamins, and minerals.
3. Diet products can tear your insides up (aka give you stomach troubles).
This isn’t from research but from personal experience. I can tell you that a world without diet food makes for one heck of a happier digestive system! 
For example: Anyone eaten a product with sugar alcohol or inulin (added fiber) and gotten lots of gas and stomach pain? No thanks.
The only diet you should be on is the one that you can spend the rest of your life eating. This is a little different for everyone. But for me, a diet I can live with the rest of my life includes many of my much-adored fruits and vegetables daily, a little bit of chocolate regularly (with a cup of coffee on the side 
), no deprivation- if I am craving something I try to wait out my hunger and plan my crave, and mostly whole foods. I FEEL the best when I eat real food. What about you? Are you sick of diets or eating diet products that don’t help your health, weight, or even taste good?
Start today- move toward giving up the fake, “diet” food. Listen to your hunger and like Leslie’s slogan says Eat Real Food. Feel Real Good. (TM)
This post is by Janet Zimmerman, a University of Memphis Nutrition Student and Schilling Nutrition Therapy, LLC Intern. You can follow Janet on Twitter as well at http://twitter.com/JanetZimmerman
Agreed!