Although cookies are off-limits on most diets, Dr. Sanford Siegal's Cookie Diet is based on them. Dr. Siegal developed the Cookie Diet in 1975 around his premise that excess weight is caused by a faulty thyroid gland. The Cookie Diet is popular because it's a simple plan to follow that promises an easy, fast way to lose weight. Consult your doctor before starting any diet.
The Claims
Dr. Siegal describes his Cookie Diet as a "proven, three-step plan" that's safe, fast and has helped over a half million people lose weight. The cookies purportedly contain a special amino acid mixture that curbs the appetite, and this ingredient is not shared with the public. The diet promises weight loss of up to 10 pounds per month. There are no clinical studies to prove these claims, according to an article, "A Few Cookies a Day to Keep the Pounds Away?" by Abby Ellin in the Oct. 1, 2009 issue of "The New York Times."
Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet is a very low-calorie diet, allowing only 1,000 calories per day. Each day, dieters consume six of Dr. Siegal's cookies or shakes, take a special multivitamin, drink eight glasses of water, and have a "reasonable" dinner at night. The reasonable dinner is low-fat and low-calorie, such as a skinless chicken breast and steamed vegetables. Dr. Siegal's cookies cost $59.95 per month or $4.28 per replaced meal, according to the Cookie Diet website. Other Cookie Diet products include diet shake mixes, multivitamins and a cookbook.
Is It a Healthy Diet?
The Cookie Diet fits the definition of a fad diet -- it promises quick weight loss with little effort, restricts food choices, requires you to purchase a specific product, severely limits fat intake and uses testimonials to show results. It's not possible to meet nutritional needs with six cookies and one meal per day, according to registered dietitian Keri Gans of New York, quoted in a "New York Times" article about the diet. Dr. Siegal's 90-calories cookies contain 2.5 g of fat; 5 g of protein from beef protein hydrolysate, milk, eggs and whey; 150 mg of sodium; and 11 g of carbohydrates, which includes 2 g of sugar and 2 g of fiber. They're sweetened with brown sugar and cane sugar, and contain a sugar-sweetened ingredient called crisp rice.
Expert Insight
Nutrition experts think the Cookie Diet is short-lived and unbalanced, and that dieters will regain the weight quickly because the diet isn't based on a healthy eating plan that can be followed long-term. While the diet isn't harmful if followed for a short time, it won't cause the important behavioral changes required to maintain a healthy weight, according to Suzanne Havala Hobbs, a clinical associate professor at the University of North Carolina's Gillings School of Global Public Health in Chapel Hill.
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