The Arnot Diet

As explained in his book, ‘Dr. Bob Arnot’s Revolutionary Weight Loss Control Program’ is based on his theory that the body needs to be feed more often and with smaller portions to keep weight down. His whole theory is that eating before becoming hungry will result in healthier food choices and reduce binge eating by reducing the appetite. He calls this style of dieting “forward eating”.

A nutritionist himself and former NBC chief medical correspondent, Dr. Arnot recommends eating 3 meals and 3 snacks per day. Each meal is to begin with a protein portion and incorporate low sugar carbohydrates that are high in fiber which he calls “carbos” along with fruit and vegetables. He also advocates “hard foods”, those that are hard to chew and have a slower absorption rate. Hard foods include beans, cereals, grains and such vegetables as cabbage and lettuce. He further suggests that monotony is a good thing, to choose one meal and stick with it, day in and day out.

The exercise component of the Arnot Diet stresses fat burning, muscle building workouts. On the upside Arnot Diet plan allows the dieter to consume all of the food groups, on the downside it can be boring and makes dining out difficult. Some reported that the book is at times confusing and difficult to read, did not include any recipes or meal plans nor did it cover the use of supplements. Furthermore, there are no specifics detailing how much weight loss to expect or in what time frame. For an actual diet plan he prefers the Asian Diet and the Mediterranean Diet.

More recently Dr. Arnot has published another book entitled ‘The Breast Cancer Prevention Diet: The Powerful Foods, Supplements and Drugs That Can Save Your Life’ that is raising concern in the scientific community. Many of the doctors and scientists quoted as contributing to the book were unaware of their participation and had not endorsed it. Others are concerned that the message the book sends gives the appearance that Dr. Arnot has the cure for cancer. The American Council on Science and Health have declared the book “unscientific and deceptive – a disservice to American women”. So readers beware as there is some blurring between fact and fiction and some of Dr. Arnot’s unproven interventions may cause more harm than good.