Crash weight loss plans and fad diets are an unwelcome alternative to permanent healthy eating habits, according to the American Heart Association.

What is a fad diet? It's a well marketed diet with some outrageous scheme to lose weight in an impossible manner, often by eating nothing but one food like a cabbage.

One food or one type of food is generally overemphasized with fad quick weight loss diets. They don't include a variety of foods or good balance, a violation of the first principle of good nutrition, eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods. Because no one food has all the nutrients required for good health, these diets can result in a lot of health problems. One such diet is the Cabbage Soup Diet. This so-called fat-burning soup is eaten mostly with fruits and vegetables. The diet supposedly helps heart patients lose 10–17 pounds in seven days prior to surgery. On top of not working to lose weight, this diet lacks essential nutrients and can cause serious health issues. There are no magic beans, or magic cabbages, or miracle foods for weight loss and good nutrition. Moderation in eating all the major food groups is the best bet.

These crazy diets also break a second important principle of good nutrition which is that eating should be enjoyable.. It's impossible to stay on these diets for a long time because they're so boring. Consider a week on the Cabbage Soup Diet. By mid week crawling bugs would look good. They'd carry you away in a straight jacket on Sunday.

There are many other ways fad diets aren't good diets. Most don't talk about exercise, such as aerobics for 30 minutes a day every day. While doing nothing can lead to heart problems, exercise is a major element of maintaining proper weight. When a diet mentions no need for a workout, run the other way.

Quick weight loss is possible. But if a program sounds too good to be true, it is.