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Fad dieting and psychological well-being
Jacob Burmeister1, Allison Kiefner Burmeister1, London Moening1
1Department of Behavioral Sciences, The University of Findlay, Ohio, USA.
Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)
|November 23, 2025
Summary
Engaging with fad diets increases the risk of depression, body shame, and disordered eating behaviors. Both men and women are equally likely to participate in these potentially harmful eating patterns.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Fad diets, often popularized on social media, promise rapid weight loss through simplistic methods.
- These diets can pose nutritional risks and are suspected to negatively impact psychological well-being due to their restrictive nature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between fad dieting and psychological well-being.
- To determine if fad dieting is linked to increased risks of depression, body shame, and disordered eating behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Data was collected from 584 participants.
- Statistical analysis was performed to explore correlations between fad dieting engagement and psychological health indicators.
Main Results:
- Increased engagement with fad diets was significantly associated with higher risks of depression (P = 0.025), body shame (P = 0.008), and disordered eating behaviors (P = 0.006).
- Contrary to popular belief, there was no significant gender difference in participation rates for fad diets (P > 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Fad dieting is associated with detrimental psychological outcomes.
- Further research is recommended to establish causal relationships between fad dieting and negative mental health effects.
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