The Facts on the Cookie Diet

In the world of fad diets almost nothing can be more absurd than the cookie diet. In essence this diet claims that amino acids baked into cookies can control hunger.

The cookie diet has been around for more than 30 years. Perhaps you've never heard of it. And even if you have, you might be wondering if such a strange weight loss plan can actually work.

Fad diets are short term weight loss programs in which people are supposed to lose a lot of weight. They're popular because the weight loss tips that are central to these plans supposedly result in rapid shedding of excess pounds. Often times, like the cookie diet, these diets rely on a single miracle food with amazing properties that lead to dramatic weight loss. In this sense they are something like the old traveling medicine shows, in which a slick talking salesman would expound on the virtues of some magical formula created by a gifted inventor of some type.

The cookie diet came about as the result of research into natural foods done for a book in 1975. The cookie diet consists of eating 6 cookies in place of breakfast and lunch, then consuming a normal dinner. All told the daily caloric intake was about 800 calories. People went wild over the cookie diet to the extent that 14 clinics opened in Florida. In the middle 1980s over 200 doctors were prescribing Dr. Siegel's cookie diet in their own practices. It was at this time that shakes and soups were added to the mix, these also containing the amino acids that control hunger.

A new version of the cookie diet became popular with Hollywood stars as the Hollywood cookie diet. This diet received a great deal of media attention in part because of the PR efforts of attention grabbing stars and starlets. Like the original cookie diet this Hollywood version replaced breakfast and lunch with cookies, then allowed a reasonable dinner. The four cookies allowed on this diet consisted of a combined 600 calories and various vitamins.

Do yourself a favor – avoid the cookie diet. Eat less, exercise more – that's the formula for good health. Even if the star of your favorite movie claims to love them, avoid so called miracle weight loss foods.