The Zone Diet Another Fad Diet?

Barry Sears' Zone Die was a popular news item when various celebrities (including Jennifer Aniston) endorsed the diet.

The Zone has often been derided as just another fad diet. I think this is unfair. Some of the fittest, strongest, and healthiest people I know of follow the Zone principles.

Dr Barry Sears has completely redesigned Zone website (Zoneliving.com) for 2007. The emphasis is not just weight loss - but women's, men's and children's health - and even athletic performance.

Certainly there are some gimmicky aspects about the diet - such as the Zone snack bars, and the hard-sell on Omega-3 supplementation. The rigid style of eating puts many people off.

The Zone Diet - basic rules of the game:

Start every meal or snack with low-fat protein. Next add low glycemic-load carbohydrates (i.e. vegetables and fruits) and good fats (i.e. olive oil). Remember, a typical serving of low-fat protein fits in your palm of your hand and is no thicker than your hand (about 3 ounces for most females and 4 ounces for most males).

The American Heart Association doesn't recommend high-protein diets for weight loss including the Zone Diet. Some of these diets restrict healthful foods that provide essential nutrients and don't provide the variety of foods needed to adequately meet nutritional needs. People who stay on these diets very long may not get enough vitamins and minerals and face other potential health risks.

Zone Diet Background

Many Americans follow popular diets, such as the Atkins, Zone, Protein Power, Sugar Busters and Stillman diets. Most of these diets aren't balanced in terms of the essential nutrients our bodies need. Some are high protein and emphasize foods like meat, eggs and cheese, which are rich in protein and saturated fat. Some restrict important carbohydrates such as cereals, grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. If followed for a long time, they can result in potential health problems. And while they may result in quick weight loss, more research is needed on the effectiveness for long-term weight loss.

These diets can cause a quick drop in weight because eliminating carbohydrates causes a loss of body fluids. Lowering carbohydrate intake also prevents the body from completely burning fat. In the diets that are also high in protein, substances called ketones are formed and released into the bloodstream, a condition called ketosis. It makes dieting easier because it lowers appetite and may cause nausea.

But these diets, like the zone diet, have other effects besides inducing quick weight loss. Most Americans already eat more protein than their bodies need. And eating too much protein can increase health risks. High-protein animal foods are usually also high in saturated fat. Eating large amounts of high-fat foods for a sustained period raises the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke and several types of cancer. People who can't use excess protein effectively may be at higher risk of kidney and liver disorders, and osteoporosis.

That's why the American Heart Association guidelines urge adults who are trying to lose weight and keep it off to eat no more than 30 percent of total daily calories from fat and less than 7 percent from saturated fat. On most high-protein diets, meeting these goals isn't possible.

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