Cost of dieting! Research suggests new trends can cost people more than their weight loss

According to a study by UniSA, the researchers evaluated the affordability of popular diets by comparing them to the Mediterranean diet and the Australian Guide to Health Eating (AGHE) suggestions, which showed that cutting calories could vary from USD 300 per week. According to a study published in the University of South Australia journal, the research showed that the most cost-effective diet was sampled from the Australian Guide to Health Eating (AGHE) that was adapted for weight loss via calorie restriction. In this, the meal plan included all the core five food groups along with the range of affordable staple items like pasta, legumes and bread, along with a lower amount of other animal products.

The expensive diet plans typically restricted many food groups, which included premium products like protein supplements, organic produce, high protein bread and low-carbohydrate replacements.

According to Associate Professor Karen Murphy, a lead researcher, having an understanding of the cost of weight loss programs is important, especially when people have low access to fresh produce or are facing financial struggles due to current floods and Covid-19. He further noted that almost 12.5 million Australian adults are obese or overweight, which is 67 per cent of the adult population making it two in every three adults.

For the low-income earners, it becomes extremely important to understand the cost behind the range of diets that are on offer, as the financial feasibility of sticking to these programs could be questionable for many people.

Also, there are misconceptions about consuming a healthy diet that are made up of five key food groups like AGHE, are expensive, which actually is not the case.

The study found that the more expensive diets usually gulped almost 13 per cent of the disposable income.

Healthy eating principles like the ones within the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) and Mediterranean Diet have an emphasis on staple foods and fresh produce. There is a wrong perception that these diets are really expensive.

Hence it is important to choose your options wisely that helps you in reducing the waistline without having to cut into your bottom line.