"Scarsdale Diet"

Review

The "Scarsdale Diet" was created in the 1970s by Dr. Herman Tarnower. The diet is named for the town in New York in which Dr. Tarnower practiced medicine, before meeting his murder at the hands of his longtime lover, Jean Harris. As a medical doctor specializing in treating obesity, Dr. Tarnower combined the medical condition known as ketosis, and its ability to generate weight loss, with a food program that causes ketosis in clients/patients. Basically, the Scarsdale Diet is a low carbohydrate diet, along with grapefruit consumption and appetite suppressant pills.

The Scarsdale Diet plan:

A 7 to 14 day plan that clearly outlines the types of foods to be consumed at three meals each day. Snacking is not allowed and herbal appetite suppressants are encouraged. Meals consist of fruit, vegetables, and lean sources of protein in unlimited amounts. You don't have to count calories or grams of fat and there is no limit on portion sizes.

The magic behind the short-term success of low carbohydrate diets lies in their effect on the body: the body's preferred energy source is glucose. When carbohydrates are significantly restricted, the body runs short on its constant supply of glucose, the breakdown product of carbohydrate. The body anticipates these situations by storing glucose (glycogen) in the muscles and liver. For every gram of glycogen the body stores, it must store with it three grams of water. If carbohydrates are significantly limited, the body will break down these glycogen stores to obtain glucose for energy. When the glycogen is broken down stored water is released and excreted. The more aggressive the carbohydrate restriction, the more dramatic this effect. Hence, water loss.

The low carb craze continues unabated despite the warnings from medical authorities. It is truly amazing how so many low carb diet gurus have managed to mislead millions of people into a diet opposed by the American Dietetic Association, the American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the National Institutes of Health.

The Scarsdale Diet and other low-carb plans have shown poor results in the long-term. Considering the health risks associated with the regimen, the Scarsdale Diet seems like a poor choice when there are so many sensible alternatives.