To this end, the book recommends keeping food and activity diaries. According
to the National Weight Control Registry, one study found that such diaries
proved valuable to people who lost at least 30 pounds and kept the weight off
for one year or more. This is important because the majority of people who lose
weight will gain it back over time because they can’t stick to a rigid plan.
For this reason, the AHA’s approach is more like a gradual lifestyle change
than a traditional diet, Eckel said.
“There is more to a diet than losing weight. It’s about lifestyle changes
that emphasize physical activity and behavioral changes that are necessary to
accomplish your goals,” he said.
To be sure, the approach is not new. Dietitians have long advocated a diet
rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein and low in fat and
refined sugar. Why then, do the majority of Americans remain overweight?
“A person’s response to food is more complicated than just following a plan,
even for only 25 percent of the time as this diet plan suggests,” said Sharron
Dalton, associate professor in the department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and
Public Health at New York University.
“When our body is overfed and loses its ability to sense fullness and our
mind is stuck with the notion of good/bad food, even the most customized plan
may be more work than pleasure.”
More information
To learn more about the book, visit the American Heart
Association.
SOURCES: Robert Eckel, M.D., president-elect, American Heart
Association, and assistant professor of medicine, University of Colorado School
of Medicine; Sharron Dalton, Ph.D., associate professor, department of
nutrition, food studies and public health, New York University, New York City
Copyright © 2005 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Heart Association Diet Book Offers Recipe for Success was originally published on blackdoctor.org
