Do you read diet plan reviews? I have read (and published) many of them myself. There is one thing in common in most reviews, they are based on the personal opinion of the author (not scientific data). Which is fine if the author is a recognized authority with proper credetials, like an M.D., Ph.D., certified nutritionist, fitness professional or wellness coach, but most are not.
Unfortunately, many diet reviews are published by Internet marketers only trying to make a buck. These reviews (in my opinion) are scrapping together ideas and conjecture about dietary supplements or lifestyles that they haven't even tried. This is not to say all reviews are unprofessional, some are very professional and packed full of useful information.
In essence there are 2 things a diet plan review is trying to accomplish.
- To get you to buy into a certain dietary product.
- To get you to change your lifestyle to a better way of living.
In fact, all diets work if they are properly administered. Success of any diet usually depends on following the plan closely. It usually isn't the diet plan that fails, but the failure of the dieter to follow the plan. This concept rarely makes it into most diet plan reviews and is generally ignored.
What to look for in a diet plan review
These are several critical elements to look for in a diet review.
- Must be about eating, whether it is organic food or dietary supplements. Dieting is about what you eat, not really about which supplement does what.
Dietary supplements are targeted to address a specific need. Whether that is appetite control, fat burning (thermogenics), reducing cravings for sweets, water weight reduction, meal replacement, metabolism boosting, etc. they all have certain functions.
That is why there is no "magic pill" to lose weight. Different combinations of diet, exercise and supplementation along with a solid plan usually works for most people.
Even when dieting you still have to eat. What we eat and how much of it is key to any diet plan. If a diet review doesn't refer to eating, then it is missing this key ingredient to weight loss.
- Must be written by an authority e.g. dietician, physician, fitness expert, certified wellness coach or even a successful dieter. In other words a diet plan review must come from a legitimate source of information with real life experience.
Reviews of diets that are not actually used by the author are not based on real life experience are mosty conjecture and opinion. If a diet review doesn't show results or have testimonials whether personal or supplied then the author is not a creditable source of information.
- Must have instructions on how to use of the plan. You should be informed on the proper usage as well as the desired results of any diet plan. This information is very useful in deciding whether or not a weight loss plan is right for you.
What good is a diet plan, if you don't know how it works? None! Look for personal experience with the products or lifestyles. Why would you believe someone who has not taken the time or made the effort themselves?
- Must have reference to scientific data. This lends credibility to the review. Without something as simple as a nutrition label or as significant as a clinical study the review may be simply unsubstantiated prose. It is one thing to make claims about the successfullness of a diet plan and quite another to show proof that it works.
If a diet review makes unsubstantiated claims without showing any resource to back the claims up, then the claims may not be true, or at least taken with a grain of salt. So look for substantiation of claims made in diet plan reviews. This can be in the form of bibliographical references, real life testimonials, product or nutrition labels and even generally accepted public opinion, but not personal opinion or conjecture.
In summary here's what to look for in a diet plan review:
- Must be about eating food, real or dietary supplements. What you eat is the key to any diet.
- Must show how to use the diet. Instructions and desired results are important criteria for making a decision on whether or not a diet should be adopted.
- Must contain substantiated information. Unsubstantiated claims may be untrue or personal opinion and should be taken with a grain of salt.
- The author must have experience with the diet plan, whether personal, technical or clinical. Without it the author has little credability.
- Must reference scientific data. Even something small like a product nutrition label lends credability. Something significant like reference to a clinical study is much more believable. Without reference to scientific data the review may be nothing more than personal opinion.
Keep these tips in mind when reading diet plan reviews and you will be much better informed.
Hope This Helps
Tim
Check out my most recent diet plan reviews...
