The Shangri-La Diet
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| The Shangri-La Diet: The No Hunger Eat Anything Weight Loss Plan | |
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| Author | Seth Roberts |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject(s) | Dieting |
| Genre(s) | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Perigee Books |
| Publication date | April 2006 |
| Pages | 203 pp |
| ISBN | 9780399533167 |
The Shangri-La Diet is both the name of a book by Seth Roberts, a professor emeritus of psychology at UC Berkeley, and the name of the diet that the book advocates. The book outlines a method of appetite suppression which can allegedly lead to weight loss.
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[edit] Inspiration
As a graduate student, Roberts studied animal learning, specifically "rat psychology".[1] As a psychology professor, Roberts read a report by Israel Ramirez that studied the stimulation and growth in rats due to saccharine.[2] Based on this research, he developed a new theory of weight control – eating foods with a low glycemic index and eating sushi – on which he lost twenty pounds.[citation needed]
In 2000, Roberts traveled to Paris. He claims he noticed a loss of appetite, and connected this with drinking sugar-sweetened soda, a food he did not consume at home.[3]
[edit] Book summary
The book features short anecdotes from followers of the diet who had heard of it through Seth's blog or The New York Times.[4] Roberts' diet is based on the fundamental principle of a "set point" – the weight which (according to Roberts) a dieter's body "wants to be". When actual weight is below the set point, appetite increases; when actual weight is above the set point, appetite decreases. Furthermore, eating certain foods supposedly can raise or lower the set point. Foods that have a strong flavor-calorie relationship (such as fast food or donuts) allegedly can raise the set point, whereas bland foods which are slowly digested (like extra light olive oil or fructose mixed with water) supposedly can lower the set point. Roberts states that the diet is based upon connecting two unconnected fields: weight control and associative learning. Because of this, the research allegedly behind the diet is from multiple fields, ranging from Pavlovian psychology to physiology to rat psychology.[2][5][6][7]
[edit] About the diet
The diet itself consists of taking 100–400 calories in the form of extra-light (not extra-virgin) olive oil or sugar water per day, either all at once or spanned throughout the day. This must be consumed in a flavorless window, which is at least one hour after flavors have been consumed, and at least one hour before flavors will be consumed.[4] The consumption of these flavorless calories supposedly lowers the set point, and therefore, lowers weight.
[edit] Reception
Through word of mouth, the book became a New York Times bestseller.[citation needed] It was featured on Good Morning America, on which journalist Diane Sawyer tried a tablespoon of olive oil.[8][9] It received additional coverage by The Times, ABC News, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.[10][11][12][13]
[edit] Positive and negative reaction
The diet has been endorsed or mentioned by Stephen Dubner, Tim Ferriss, Tucker Max, and Wired magazine writer Gary Wolf.[14][15][16] Radio host David Lawrence wrote that he lost over 100 pounds on the diet in the year after Roberts appeared on his radio show.[citation needed]
It was heavily criticized by UCLA medical professor Dr. John Ford.[17] In an interview on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Sunday Night program, nutritionist David Jenkins criticized the lack of scientific research validating the diet.[18] In the same program, Roberts responded, saying that the results are there for all to see and that "there was no need for a big study to demonstrate the obvious".[18] Jenkins admitted that the diet can only be benign, saying, "It is both cheap and safe."[18]
[edit] References
- ^ Interview with Author Dr. Seth Roberts The Diet Channel
- ^ a b Ramirez, Israel Stimulation of Energy Intake and Growth by Saccharine in Rats September 25, 1989.
- ^ The Elephant Speaks "It’s true, in the grand scientific tradition, that my discovery of sugar water’s useful effects began with an accident (in Paris)."
- ^ a b Roberts, Seth (April 24, 2007 – note, can't find original publishing date). The Shangri-La Diet: The No Hunger Eat Anything Weight-Loss Plan. Perigee Trade. ISBN 0399533168.
- ^ Science behind the diet on SethRoberts.net
- ^ Sclafani et al.Flavor Conditioning as a Function of Fat Source on ScienceDirect.net
- ^ Cabanec, Michel Evidence that transient nicotine lowers the body weight set point on ScienceDaily
- ^ "Oil and Water: Key to Weight Loss?". ABC. November 14, 2005. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/BeautySecrets/story?id=1310260. Retrieved on 2008-06-26.
- ^ Dubner, Stephen (November 14, 2005). "The Shangri-La Diet, Between Hard Covers". Freakonomics Blog, New York Times. http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/04/20/the-shangri-la-diet-between-hard-covers/. Retrieved on 2008-06-26.
- ^ A fat lot of use on TimesOnline.co.uk, Jan 7, 2007
- ^ Oil and Water: Key to Weight Loss? on abcnews.com, Nov 14, 2005
- ^ Dubner and Levitt Does the Truth Lie Within? The Accidental Diet, September 11, 2005.
- ^ Diets Do's and Don'ts on WashingtonPost.com, August 13, 2006
- ^ Ferriss, Tim Relax Like A Pro: Five Steps to Hacking Your Sleep "thanks Seth Roberts, PHD. for this tip"
- ^ Tipping the Scales Rudius Media Messageboards
- ^ Gary Wolf blog "'I'm becoming a devoted fan of Seth Robert's, one of the great champion of self-experimentation."
- ^ Ford, John Troubles in Shangri-La on TCSDaily
- ^ a b c David Jenkins YouTube Video
