The younger generation are being warned that faddy diets are putting their health at risk. We must consider things in moderation.

The National Osteoporosis Society survey in the UK found that a fifth of under-25s were cutting out or reducing dairy in their diet, which can affect their bones. The diet that in its extreme form that recommends avoiding dairy is ‘clean eating.’

What is clean eating?

Clean eating is eating clean foods, cooking them from scratch, choosing foods in their natural state, and eliminating refined sugar. More extreme versions might exclude gluten, grains, dairy or even encourage a raw food diet.

It's been around for about a decade and some A-list celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Katy Perry and Jessica Alba are all reportedly fans. But it's foodie vloggers and bloggers who have given theses forms of diets their biggest exposure.

Is it good for you?

The most recent National Diet and Nutrition Study found the calcium intake of one in six women under 24 was deemed to be worryingly low. The best diet is a varied one.

A Mediterranean-style one of olive oil, vegetables, lean meat and a handful of nuts to snack on is a nutritional blueprint for people of all ages. The more restrictive and the more caveats, the less healthy the diet, she concludes.

What does the National Health Service advise?

• Base your meals on starchy carbohydrates;
• Eat lots of fruit and veg;
• Eat more fish - including a portion of oily fish;
• Cut down on saturated fat and sugar;
• Eat less salt - no more than 6g a day for adults;
• Get active and be a healthy weight;
• Don't get thirsty;
• Don't skip breakfast.

Sadly, fad diets aren’t without controversy. It’s a diet that promises us quick weight loss, through an unbalanced and unhealthy diet. They are usually targeted at people who want to lose weight quickly and without exercising.

Cutting out key foods that represent a fad diet may cause the following symptoms:

• Weakness and fatigue;
• Dehydration;
• Constipation;
• Headaches and nausea;
• An inadequate vitamin and mineral intake.

Based on an Article by the BBC.