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Diets – Why Do We Have Them?

Diets – Why Do We Have Them?

by Irene Mejia | Feb 13, 2023

You may have waited in a grocery store line and seen magazines talking about dozens of types of diets, but have you ever wondered: why do we even have so many diets in the first place?

Why is there a need for a carnivore diet, plant-based diet, traditional Western diet, or Halal diet?

Well, the answer is not that simple. There are many factors ranging from something as simple as personal preference to something as complex as cultural differences or misinformation from the media.

But no worries, that’s precisely what we are covering today: first, we are going to discuss why we have diets, followed by a brief history of diets throughout the past few years.

Before we get started, let’s just briefly define what “diet” means. In the past decades, the word “diet” has been used as a synonym of “weight loss”. We have all heard or said at least once “I am going on a diet”.

But from a nutrition standpoint – a diet is simply the kind of foods that a person (or a community) usually eats. You can think of it as a synonym of “eating patterns”.

So now that we know what a diet is – let’s talk about why we have so many of them.

Nutritional Benefits

Have you heard the saying “food is fuel”? Well, food is definitely our fuel. Food is what creates the structures in our bodies, what lets us do our daily activities, and allows us to function properly.

Sometimes we choose a specific diet simply because it’s the most adequate for our nutritional needs. In some cases, this decision is also made with the help of a dietitian and other healthcare providers.

For example, when children have seizures that are not well-controlled on available medications, a ketogenic nutrition therapy (a diet that derives about 85% to 90% of its energy from fat) may be appropriate to help control the seizures (1).

But food goes beyond just nourishing our bodies – the diets that we have chosen for ourselves are the result of many social, economic, and cultural factors. Let’s cover some of them.

Cultural Differences

You might agree that one of the most exciting things about traveling is trying new food.

It’s very exciting to try what locals usually eat, or enjoy new fruits and vegetables you have never even heard of before.

The foods in a culture are determined by many factors such as religion (which we will cover in the next section), geography, and weather. For example, let’s study the Mediterranean diet.

Technically, the Mediterranean diet refers to the diet of countries that surround the Mediterranean sea.

But this definition is way too broad, as there are more than 20 countries that surround this sea, and not all of them share the exact same diet. But overall, these countries’ diets do share similar food ingredients that are commonly found in the area.

For example, this diet is known for including fish, seafood, and olive oil. And of course this is no surprise: with direct access to the sea, the most obvious source of protein would be fish and seafood. And with its warm weather, olive trees are one of the most common crops. In fact, olive cultivation is one of the most significant agricultural activities in Greece (2).

But besides the geography and weather, diets are also influenced by the religion of a culture or area.

Religious Reasons

Some religions have dietary restrictions either throughout the year or during certain periods of time. Seventh-Day Adventists, for example, follow a strict lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (no meat, fish, poultry), and avoid alcohol, caffeine, or tobacco (3).

Religion and culture are intertwined, so one may influence the other. Additionally, culture and religion may also influence what a family eats and what is taught from generation to generation.

Family Values and Traditions

The influence of family in our diets is very significant, and in some cases it can be detrimental.

For most of our childhood, we have very little control over what we eat. We simply eat what our parents eat, and we tend to replicate these patterns during adulthood (4,5).

For instance, if our parents were vegan for ethical reasons, we may decide to be vegan or plant-based during adulthood, but in some cases we may want to try the complete opposite.

But as mentioned before, the family’s influence can also be detrimental. In some cases, eating disorders/disordered eating can be influenced by how we were raised. In fact, eating disorders among female adolescents have been linked to problematic family functioning (6,7).

For example, an adult with disordered eating could have food fears (fearing eating a certain food or food group) “instilled” in them as children, and in turn this will influence their diet as adults.

But where do these food fears and diets originate? Well, there are many reasons, but one of them is the media and misinformation.

The Media and Misinformation

As we have covered in the previous sections, different diets definitely have a time and place, and some of them are backed up by science to potentially improve our health.

However, the media, and social media, tend to sensationalize these diets into a cure, “the one-and-only lifestyle”, to the point that it can spread misinformation.

When we say “media” we refer to magazines, TV, the internet, news shows, radio, and now social media as well. And of course, the media and their health messages have evolved throughout the years.

Think about the 90’s where every magazine talked about the Atkins diet (diet that restricts carbs and focuses on protein and fats), and it was so popular that it was casually mentioned in TV shows like FRIENDS.

And think about how now you scroll through Instagram and see thousands of videos of people promoting a vegan diet, a carnivore diet, a low-carb diet… and the list goes on.

This does not mean that all media is wrong and it’s bad, there are definitely credible sources out there. The point is that the media has such an incredible impact – it popularizes diets to the point that it influences our daily food choices, whether in a good or bad way.

But now that we briefly mentioned the Atkins diet in the 90’s, let’s actually go a little bit further back in time and talk about the different types of diets in the past few decades.

History of Diets – Let’s Go Back in Time

Diets have come and gone – and some have stayed. Let’s dive back and time and discuss some of the most significant diet trends from the late 20th and 21st century.

1975: Paleo diet. Walter L. Voegtlin published the original book “The Stone Age Diet”, based on the “principles” of Paleolithic nutrition. Voegtlin emphasized meat consumption, very low carbohydrates and no raw vegetables.

However, his book has many controversial or incorrect facts. For instance, Voegtlin recommended the mass slaughter of tigers, dolphins, and other carnivores. Paleo leaders today have largely disavowed him (8).

1992: Atkins diet. Dr Atkins published his first book about the Atkins diet. It was a high-protein, low-carb diet with the goal of losing weight (9).

2002: Paleo diet. The diet resurfaces again, when Dr. Loren Cordain published a new book about The Paleo Diet, and is now considered the cornerstone of the Paleo movement (8).

As of 2015, an estimated three million Americans currently follow some version of the Paleo diet (8).

2010s – Present: Plant-based diets. Vegetarian and vegan diets are not new. Vegetarianism has been practiced for hundreds of years, and the term veganism seems to have been coined in the 1940s (9).

However, plant-based diets overall have become more popular in the last decade, with many restaurants and food companies offering plant-based alternatives.

2015: Keto diet. A high-fat, very low-carb diet. As mentioned earlier, this diet was normally intended to manage epilepsy in patients. The goal is for the body to enter ketosis – for the body to rely on fat as the primary source of fuel instead of glucose.

Similarly, the carnivore diet has also become more popular. The idea is to focus on animal products and completely exclude plant products. While the person could be on ketosis, that is not the end goal (10).

2019 – Present: Gut health. A lot of research has been done about the relationship of a healthy microbiome and overall health. People focus on eating high-fiber diets rich in phytochemicals, adding fermented foods and probiotics, and restricting certain foods (11).

Summary

Our diets are determined by many reasons that can be as simple as personal preference to as complex as our culture, religion, or the media.

For this reason, many diets have also come and gone throughout the years, and with the influence of the media and social media, diets are now more influential than ever – as more and more people decide to try new diets that may adapt to their needs.

This post was written by Irene Mejia, RD and Sports Nutrition Specialist.

References

Diets – Why Do We Have Them?

Nutritional Benefits

Cultural Differences

Religious Reasons

Family Values and Traditions

The Media and Misinformation

History of Diets – Let’s Go Back in Time

Summary

Irene Mejia

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