The Kaiser diet is a three-day plan that claims to promote rapid weight loss. According to website The Diet Channel, the Kaiser 3-Day Diet is just one name for this program. You may see references such as the American Heart Association 3-Day Diet, Dr. Perricone 3-Day Diet or Cleveland Clinic 3-Day Diet. The Kaiser 3-Day diet consists of a structured meal plan that promises extreme weight loss plus detoxing in just three days. The program offers no clinical data to support the effectiveness of the diet or safety of the plan.
Diet Plan
The plan consists of three meals each day. The food selections promise to increase the metabolism so fat burns quickly. The Diet Channel states calorie intake is approximately 600 per day. Website Carter Country Market has a copy of the meal plan on its website. The program for the first day includes breakfast with grapefruit, toast, peanut butter and coffee or tea. Lunch with tuna, toast and coffee or tea and dinner has meat, vegetables, fruit and vanilla ice cream. All meals have specific portion sizes to maintain low-calorie intake.
Significance
No diet plan that lasts only three days is going to lead to significant, permanent weight loss. It is possible if you follow the plan you may drop pounds, but the weight loss will be temporary. As soon as you start eating again, the weight will come back. The caloric intake of 600 calories a day is not a safe way to lose weight. To effectively drop pounds, you must create a calorie deficient. This means burn more calories than you eat. The Kaiser diet will do that for three days, but does not provide a system for managing weight loss.
Complications
This plan recommends an extremely low calorie count. It is by definition a fad diet. Gimmick plans to lose weight will rarely sustain the loss. Low calorie plans, such as Kaiser, can lead to dehydration and may cause health problems. MayoClinic.com warns that fad diets promise fast weight loss without permanently changing your eating habits or increasing your activity level. This rarely works for the long term.
Controversy
The American Heart Association (AHA) issued a statement denying association or support of this program. The AHA calls the Kaiser diet a bogus plan with little scientific basis. According to the AHA, this is a con that sells photocopied meal plans over the Internet and through the mail for two dollars. The Diet Channel states that the Kaiser diet is not sustainable or healthy. Weight loss comes from drastic reductions in carbohydrates and will be primarily water weight only. Participants will not lose fat.
Considerations
This history behind this plan is shady at best. The frequent name changes and titles that would seem to make the diet legit are not based in fact. The AHA openly denies any association. Other medical agencies linked with the diet are Kaiser Permanente, Cleveland Clinic and the Birmingham Alabama Hospital. It is unclear whether any of these medical facilities are aware of the diet plan or support it. The fad nature of the plan would suggest they probably do not. Talk to your doctor about the best way to lose weight. Low-calorie diets may be an option for some individuals, but should include medical supervision.
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