Near East University Hospital Pediatric Dietitian Assist. Prof. Dr. Taygun Dayı emphasized the importance of nutrition programs planned in accordance with individual needs and medical history, and drew attention to the negative effects of popular diets on children’s health. Assist. Prof. Dr. Taygun Dayı, who stated that diets recommended by popular people on social media platforms in particular can harm children’s health, said that especially young people in adolescence are affected by these diets and experience problems with their body perception.

Stating that the most popular diet models are low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diets, low-calorie fasting diets, meal replacement powders and drinks, single-food diets and detox diets, Assist. Prof. Dr. Taygun Dayı said, “Although these types of diets may have short-term results such as weight loss, they can cause serious health problems in children in the long term.”

Assist. Prof. Dr. Taygun Dayı stated that in the long term, children experience serious side effects such as muscle loss, decreased metabolic rate, nutrient deficiencies, impaired concentration, decreased academic success, low blood pressure, low blood sugar, high blood fats, and fluid loss, and said, “In addition, these diets can cause digestive problems such as diarrhea or constipation.”

Stating that parents have an important responsibility in this regard, Assist. Prof. Dr. Taygun Dayı, Pediatric Dietitian at Near East University Hospital, emphasized that conscious steps should be taken to protect children from the effects of social media and to help them gain healthy eating habits. Assist. Prof. Dr. Taygun Dayı stated that healthy eating methods should be adopted by considering the individual needs, medical and family history of children, and addressed families by saying, “During adolescence, in women, dissatisfaction with body weight and in men, dissatisfaction with body structure are common. Children who encounter such problems may use social media to seek solutions. Children with these concerns should be prevented from implementing diets they encounter on social media. It is extremely important for the quality of life for children to be examined by a dietitian and for the problem to be solved with a multidisciplinary approach.”