David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
What's the Flat Belly Diet, and can it help you lose weight?
by Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., Mayo Clinic
July 1, 2010
The Flat Belly Diet is a weight-loss diet developed by the editors of Prevention magazine. They say that the Flat Belly Diet will help you shed belly fat and lose up to 15 pounds in just 32 days. The Flat Belly Diet has two phases, a four-day "anti-bloat" phase with specific foods and drinks, and a four-week eating plan during which you eat 1,600 calories a day.
The Flat Belly Diet emphasizes eating foods that are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). According to the Flat Belly Diet creators, eating food with MUFAs specifically helps you lose belly fat, without exercise. Such foods include olive oil, nuts, seeds, flax, soybeans and avocados. MUFAs are an essential part of every meal on the Flat Belly Diet. The Flat Belly Diet also encourages you to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The Flat Belly Diet says you don't need to exercise to achieve your weight-loss goals but that exercise can boost your weight loss. The Flat Belly Diet also says it gives you the tools to adopt a new way of eating for life.
There's no high-quality scientific research that shows that the Flat Belly Diet works for weight loss better than any well-balanced, calorie-restricted diet does or that you can specifically target belly fat by dieting. You might lose weight on the Flat Belly Diet because it encourages a generally healthy way of eating ? tailored after a Mediterranean-style diet ? and living, including stress reduction. A quick fix to your weight problem may sound appealing, but for successful, long-term weight loss, stick to the basics ? an overall healthy-eating plan and exercise.
References
by Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., Mayo Clinic
July 1, 2010
The Flat Belly Diet is a weight-loss diet developed by the editors of Prevention magazine. They say that the Flat Belly Diet will help you shed belly fat and lose up to 15 pounds in just 32 days. The Flat Belly Diet has two phases, a four-day "anti-bloat" phase with specific foods and drinks, and a four-week eating plan during which you eat 1,600 calories a day.
The Flat Belly Diet emphasizes eating foods that are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). According to the Flat Belly Diet creators, eating food with MUFAs specifically helps you lose belly fat, without exercise. Such foods include olive oil, nuts, seeds, flax, soybeans and avocados. MUFAs are an essential part of every meal on the Flat Belly Diet. The Flat Belly Diet also encourages you to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The Flat Belly Diet says you don't need to exercise to achieve your weight-loss goals but that exercise can boost your weight loss. The Flat Belly Diet also says it gives you the tools to adopt a new way of eating for life.
There's no high-quality scientific research that shows that the Flat Belly Diet works for weight loss better than any well-balanced, calorie-restricted diet does or that you can specifically target belly fat by dieting. You might lose weight on the Flat Belly Diet because it encourages a generally healthy way of eating ? tailored after a Mediterranean-style diet ? and living, including stress reduction. A quick fix to your weight problem may sound appealing, but for successful, long-term weight loss, stick to the basics ? an overall healthy-eating plan and exercise.
References
- Vaccariello L, et al. Flat Belly Diet. New York, N.Y.: Rodale; 2008.
- Nelson JK (expert review). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 17, 2010.
- Jensen MD (expert review). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 17, 2010.
