I hope you have noticed celebrations of National Nutrition Month all over our community. This year's theme is "100% Fad Free." As we wind down the celebrations, Alexandria Barley, a dietetic intern in the East Carolina University program wanted to share some thoughts with you. She has been spending some time with Jackie Sugg, our wonderful health-promotions dietitian at the Pitt County Health Department. Here is what Alexandria says:

Did you make a New Year's resolution to shed those extra pounds you've been carrying around? Have you tried every diet out there? Well here's a secret that will help you lose the weight and keep it off: Dieting doesn't work!

All of those quick fix, too-good-to-be-true, lose weight while you sleep and eat all the fattening foods your heart desires diets just don't work. And yet we still plunk down our cash for the newest diet book, pill or program that promises instant weight loss.

So I'm here to tell you what works. It's nothing you haven't heard before: Eat healthy, well-balanced meals and snacks, and move more — yes, I mean more than what it takes to dig the remote control out of the couch cushions.

You need to get up and incorporate some physical activity into your daily routine. You don't need an expensive gym membership; you can do everyday things to increase your physical activity: take the stairs, park in the farthest spot from the door, or even walk around your office building, plant or school at least once before going inside.

As far as eating goes, the truth is that you will lose weight on any of those popular diets. Any diet that reduces the calories you take in will lead to weight loss. The question is: Do you want to live your life that way? Of course you don't. You want and need a variety of familiar and affordable real foods! The most important thing to remember is that every food can fit into a healthy eating plan. We want you to change your eating habits for life. Doing so will make you a happier and healthier person in the long run.

But you might ask: How do I know if a diet is a fad or not? Well here are a few red flags to keep in mind when you hear that next infomercial promising instant weight loss:

n Any plan that sounds too good to be true probably is too good to be true. You have to do some work to see results.

n Any plan that gets rid of a whole food group is not healthy. Our bodies use each main nutrient — carbohydrate, protein and even fat — for specific purposes in our bodies. The next time you're tempted to join the low-carb craze just remember that your brain prefers carbohydrates as its main source of energy.

n Any plan that makes claims of curing disease or has a "guarantee" of weight loss, especially weight loss of more than 1-2 pounds a week may not be safe. Many of the diets that result in large amounts of weight loss in the first week are not a result of true fat loss but instead of water loss. Losing weight at a healthy rate (1-2 pounds a week) may not be as satisfying right away but losing weight this way is more likely to result in keeping those pounds from coming back later.

n Beware of plans that note "scientific evidence" but do not give the source. Most fad diets are based on very limited science at best and have little or no research that prove their claims.

n Watch out for diets and plans that are trying to sell you a product and get you to sell the product to others. They are usually about business and not about health. To find a healthy eating plan make sure it includes dietary fiber from fruits, vegetables and whole grains, includes plenty of water and has appropriate portion sizes of a variety of foods.

To learn more about National Nutrition Month visit www.eatright.org.

Professor Kathy Kolasa, a registered dietitian and Ph.D., works with the Family Medicine Center, Brody School of Medicine at ECU. Contact her at kolasaka@ecu.edu, or C/O The Daily Reflector, P.O. Box 1967, Greenville, NC 27835.