B2/C1 · Health & Lifestyle

Fad Diets

Are diet trends really too good to be true?

1. Video — How to Spot a Fad Diet

Watch the video below (4:33 min). Then answer the comprehension questions.

Comprehension Questions

What is a fad diet, and why are they often considered "too good to be true"?

Can you name some historical examples of diet crazes mentioned in the video?

Why might low-carbohydrate diets cause initial weight loss?

What happens to the body's metabolic rate when someone restricts calories drastically?

What are some red flags that a diet might be a fad diet?

How do marketers use the idea of superfoods and cleanses to attract consumers?

According to the video, why is it better to rely on doctors and nutritionists for diet advice?

What does the video say about the long-term effectiveness of fad diets?

2. Reading — The Script

Read the script from the video. Key vocabulary is highlighted in bold. Click to expand the full text.

3. Speaking Activity

Use the following words and ideas to discuss in pairs or small groups.

Fad diet

Have you ever tried a fad diet? What was it like?

Calorie

How important do you think counting calories is for healthy eating?

Superfoods

What are some superfoods you know? Do you think they really have special powers?

Metabolic rate

How do you think exercise affects your metabolism?

Cleanses

Have you heard about detox cleanses? Would you try one? Why or why not?

Marketing

How does advertising influence your food choices?

Healthy eating

What does healthy eating mean to you?

Ritual

Do you follow any food rituals or habits? How do they affect your diet?

4. Key Vocabulary Glossary

26 key words and phrases from the lesson, with meanings, synonyms, and example sentences.

#	Term	Meaning	Synonyms	Example
1	conventional wisdom about sth	commonly accepted beliefs or opinions	common belief, general opinion	The conventional wisdom about dieting is that you must avoid all fats.
2	distinguish sth from sth	recognize the difference between two things	tell apart, differentiate	It's important to distinguish healthy habits from harmful diet trends.
3	a fad diet	a diet that becomes popular for a short time but lacks scientific support	trend diet, craze diet	Many people try a fad diet hoping for quick results.
4	rally behind sth	publicly support or unite in support of something	support, back, endorse	Celebrities often rally behind new diet trends.
5	health regimen	a planned routine for maintaining or improving health	health routine, fitness plan	Her health regimen includes exercise and balanced meals.
6	begin in earnest	start seriously and with full effort	start seriously, get underway properly	After months of planning, his diet began in earnest.
7	craze	something very popular for a short time	trend, fad	Low-carb diets became a global craze.
8	tapeworm	a parasitic worm that lives in the intestines	parasite	Some extreme diets in history even involved tapeworms.
9	sth has withstood history	something has remained effective or valid over a long time	stood the test of time, endured	Balanced nutrition has withstood history as the best approach.
10	diuretic effect	causing increased urination (loss of water from the body)	water-loss effect	Some diets have a diuretic effect, leading to temporary weight loss.
11	alluring	very attractive or tempting	appealing, enticing	Quick weight-loss promises are highly alluring.
12	differentiate between sth and sth	show or recognize the difference	distinguish, tell apart	Consumers must differentiate between facts and marketing claims.
13	a tipoff	a clue or sign that reveals something	hint, indicator	If a diet sounds too good to be true, that's a tipoff.
14	cut back (on sth)	reduce the amount	reduce, decrease	You should cut back on sugar to improve your health.
15	cut out (sth)	completely stop consuming or doing something	eliminate, give up	He decided to cut out processed foods entirely.
16	chances are (that)	it is likely that	probably, likely	Chances are that extreme diets won't work long-term.
17	the diet in question	the specific diet being discussed	the particular diet, the diet under discussion	The diet in question excludes all carbohydrates.
18	opt for	choose something	choose, select	Many people opt for low-calorie meals.
19	shed pounds	lose weight	lose weight, slim down	He managed to shed pounds by exercising regularly.
20	tout weight loss	promote or advertise weight loss benefits	promote, claim, advertise	Many diet crazes tout weight loss without evidence.
21	cleanses	diets or treatments claiming to remove toxins	detox diets, detox plans	Juice cleanses are popular but controversial.
22	sth is largely exaggeration	something is mostly overstated or not entirely true	overstatement, distortion	The benefits of detox diets are largely exaggeration.
23	outweigh the benefits	be more significant than the advantages (usually negative > positive)	be greater than, surpass	The risks may outweigh the benefits of extreme dieting.
24	in moderation	not too much; in reasonable amounts	in limited amounts, sensibly	Sugar can be consumed in moderation.
25	jumpstart weight loss	begin weight loss quickly or effectively	kickstart, boost	Some people use fasting to jumpstart weight loss.
26	get ahead	make progress or succeed	advance, progress	Consistency is key if you want to get ahead in your fitness goals.

5. Part 1 — Match the Words with Their Meanings

Match the expressions (1–10) with the definitions (A–J). Select a letter for each term.

Definitions are shuffled — read carefully.

EXPRESSIONS

1.conventional wisdom

2.fad diet

3.rally behind

4.diuretic effect

5.alluring

6.cut back

7.cut out

8.tipoff

9.outweigh the benefits

10.in moderation

DEFINITIONS

A.reduce something

B.completely eliminate something

C.widely accepted belief

D.more harmful than helpful

E.very attractive or tempting

F.increase in urination

G.support something strongly

H.clue or warning sign

I.not too much

J.short-lived trend diet

6. Part 2 — Fill in the Gaps

Use the correct form of the words/phrases below to complete each sentence. Type your answer and press Check or Enter.

WORD BANK

opt for · chances are · shed pounds · craze · differentiate · jumpstart · in earnest · cleanses

Questions are randomised on every page load.

Low-carb diets became a global .

Hint: craze

Some people fast to weight loss.

Hint: jumpstart

It's important to between science and marketing.

Hint: differentiate

that extreme diets won't work long-term.

Hint: Chances are

Juice have become very popular in recent years.

Hint: cleanses

He decided to a healthier lifestyle.

Hint: opt for

After New Year's Day, people often begin dieting .

Hint: in earnest

Many people try to quickly before summer.

Hint: shed pounds

7. Part 3 — Key Phrases in Context

Complete the sentences below using your own ideas. Discuss your answers with a partner.

The conventional wisdom about dieting is that…

A clear tipoff that a diet is unhealthy is…

The risks of this diet outweigh the benefits because…

I would never cut out… because…

A good health regimen should include…

8. Part 4 — Paraphrase Challenge

Rewrite the sentences using the word in brackets. Click Reveal to see a model answer.

It's hard to tell the difference between good and bad diets.

(distinguish)

Many diets claim they help you lose weight.

(tout)

People often choose quick solutions.

(opt for)

This idea has been proven over time.

(withstood history)

9. Vocabulary Test — Multiple Choice

Choose the correct answer for each question. Both question order and answer options are randomised on every page load.

Click an option to check your answer instantly.

1.The word 'alluring' in the text is closest in meaning to:

2.The phrase 'in moderation' means:

3.Which of the following is described as a 'tipoff' that a diet is a fad?

4.A 'diuretic effect' causes the body to:

5.To 'differentiate between' two things means to:

6.The phrase 'shedding pounds' means:

7.To 'rally behind' something means to:

8.According to the text, why do low-carb diets sometimes cause initial weight loss?

9.When the text says diet crazes 'tout' weight loss, it means they:

10.What does 'conventional wisdom' refer to in the text?

10. Listening — We Are What We Don't Eat

Listen to the recording. As you listen, consider the following questions:

What is the speaker's main argument about modern eating habits?
How does the speaker connect food choices to identity and culture?
What evidence or examples does the speaker use to support their points?
Do you agree with the speaker's conclusions? Why or why not?

We Are What We Don't Eat

Extended listening · Health & Lifestyle

11. Speaking Vocabulary Revision

Review all 26 key vocabulary items. Click a card to see the definition and example. Use the Mark button to track your progress.

Not reviewed Needs work Almost there Mastered

0 / 26 mastered

conventional wisdom

/kənˈvɛnʃənl ˈwɪzdəm/ · noun phrase

distinguish sth from sth

/dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/ · verb phrase

a fad diet

/fæd ˈdaɪət/ · noun phrase

rally behind sth

/ˈræli bɪˈhaɪnd/ · phrasal verb

health regimen

/hɛlθ ˈrɛdʒɪmən/ · noun phrase

in earnest

/ɪn ˈɜːnɪst/ · adverb phrase

craze

/kreɪz/ · noun

withstand history

/wɪðˈstænd ˈhɪstri/ · verb phrase

diuretic effect

/ˌdaɪjʊˈrɛtɪk ɪˈfɛkt/ · noun phrase

alluring

/əˈlʊərɪŋ/ · adjective

a tipoff

/ˈtɪpɒf/ · noun

cut back on sth

/kʌt bæk/ · phrasal verb

cut out sth

/kʌt aʊt/ · phrasal verb

chances are

/ˈtʃɑːnsɪz ɑː/ · phrase

opt for

/ɒpt fɔː/ · phrasal verb

shed pounds

/ʃɛd paʊndz/ · verb phrase

tout sth

/taʊt/ · verb

cleanses

/ˈklɛnzɪz/ · noun (plural)

largely exaggeration

/ˈlɑːdʒli ɪɡˌzædʒəˈreɪʃən/ · noun phrase

outweigh the benefits

/ˌaʊtˈweɪ/ · verb phrase

in moderation

/ɪn ˌmɒdəˈreɪʃən/ · adverb phrase

jumpstart sth

/ˈdʒʌmpstɑːt/ · verb

get ahead

/ɡɛt əˈhɛd/ · phrasal verb

the allure of sth

/ðə əˈlʊər/ · noun phrase

inherently wrong

/ɪnˈhɪərəntli rɒŋ/ · adjective phrase

differentiate between

/dɪˌfɛrənʃiˈeɪt/ · verb phrase