THE DIET: Sugar Busters! by H. Leighton Steward, Morrison C. Bethea, M.D., Sam S. Andrews, M.D., Luis A. Balart, M.D.
THE CLAIM: "Sugar is toxic!"
THE HOOK: Refined sugar and high-glycemic foods — those that cause a sugar spike — make you crave more high-glycemic foods and become insulin resistant, which then makes you overweight. Their plan recommends you eliminate as much sugar as possible, so you won't overeat high-glycemic foods and become insulin resistant. They also claim you will lose fat in the process.
THE LINE: You can't eat your way to insulin resistance. "Diet does not cause insulin resistance," says Judy Dodd, M.S., R.D., a member of Tufts University's advisory board and a past president of the American Dietetic Association. "[Diet] only affects people who have a predisposition to insulin resistance."
Besides, insulin resistance isn't something you can just decide you have by reading a book. Dodd stresses, "Insulin resistance is a medical condition that must be diagnosed by a medical doctor."
THE SINKER: Why do people lose weight on this diet? It's the calories. Chris Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., associate professor of nutrition at Georgia State University and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, analyzed the book's recommended recipes and found that each menu averaged a mere 1,200 calories a day. "Contrary to what the claims are on the jacket, this isn't an eat-and-drink-all-you-want diet," says Rosenbloom. Just about anyone can lose weight on 1,200 calories a day.
This article was obtained from: http://www.phys.com/b_nutrition/02solutions/diet_debunker/sugar.html
