Chocolate is often the downfall of those fighting the battle of the bulge, so it sounds a bit strange that some self-proclaimed experts have released books and other products endorsing chocolate as a weight loss aid. However, some versions of the "chocolate diet" are problematic. They are expensive; provide inadequate protein, fat and calories; and can't be sustained long term.
Expense
One problem with the chocolate diet is that, like many other fad diets, there is no way for you to evaluate the diet before handing over your credit card. One website advertising the "chocolate diet weight loss system" screams that the program is the "tastiest diet ever," and that by following it you will be able to "end obesity" and "prevent disease." However, the website provides no information about what foods (other than chocolate) are included, or about how much chocolate you will be able to eat while following the program. If you want to know that, you'll have to buy their books.
Inadequate Protein and Fat
Even though websites selling chocolate diet products don't provide enough information to evaluate the diet's nutritional status, fortunately, other websites do. According to faddiet.com, a website devoted to providing information about "silly" diet plans, one version of the chocolate diet advises an eating plan heavily based on fruits, vegetables and pasta with vegetable-based sauces.
The problem with this plan is that it contains virtually no protein sources and bans all oils, including healthy unsaturated oils. Since, according to MyPyramid.gov, adults should eat 5 to 6 ounces of protein and 2 teaspoons of healthy oils per day, this diet is inadequate.
Lack of Sufficient Caloric Intake
Another problem with the chocolate diet is that it forces dieters to consume too few calories. The USDA's MyPyramid website contains a tracker to help individuals evaluate their food intake in light of the USDA's recommendations. If you plug the chocolate diet's recommended foods into the MyPyramid Tracker, assuming 3 ounces of chocolate a day, the total number of calories consumed is 1,169.
According to the Mayo Clinic's calorie calculator, a moderately active, 160-pound, 5-foot 7-inch woman should consume 2,000 calories a day, and should reduce her calorie intake by 500 calories per day to lose weight. Since 2,000 -- 500 = 1,500, the 1,169 calories allowed by the chocolate diet is too low.
Sustainability
The final problem with the chocolate diet is its lack of sustainability. According to the Mayo Clinic, permanent weight loss requires making long-term changes to your lifestyle, which includes changing your eating habits and physical activity. The chocolate diet doesn't fit the bill, unless you'd be comfortable eating pasta and tomato sauce two meals a day for the rest of your life.
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