Truth About The Flat Belly Diet

"Flat Belly Diet!" promises to get rid of unsightly, unhealthy belly fat. Published in 2008 and co-authored by Liz Vaccariello, editor-in-chief of "Prevention" and the magazine's nutritionist Cynthia Sass, the book sold more than 1.3 million copies that year alone, according to publisher Rodale Inc. Many have called the diet a fad and a scam despite its overall-healthy eating plan.

The Promise

"Flat Belly Diet!" promises you can lose up to 15 lbs. in 32 days by following the authors' diet plan. In an interview, Sass claimed the authors had found the cure, the antidote, for belly fat, including the dangerous visceral fat that can lead to heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. The diet promises that you can get a flat belly even without exercise if you just follow the plan. In the first four days, the diet promises, you can lose up to 7 lbs. and nearly 6 inches off your waist.

The Premise

The first four days are the "anti-bloat jump-start" designed to rid your body of gas, excess water and "heavy solids." During this time, you must avoid salts, processed foods, bulky raw foods, gassy foods, fried and spicy foods and excess carbohydrates, as well as chewing gum and sugar alcohols -- the sugar substitutes found in many low-calorie foods. The next phase of the diet consists of four healthy 400-calorie meals per day and requires you to have "a MUFA at every meal." MUFA stands for monounsaturated fatty acid, one of the good fats you hear so much about. MUFAs are the foundation of the Flat Belly Diet.

The MUFAs

You can find monounsaturated fatty acids in foods such as nuts, seeds, olives, avocados, dark chocolate, olive oil and other vegetable oils. These healthy fats lower the bad cholesterol in your bloodstream that comes from the excess saturated fat in your diet from meat and dairy products. Saturated fat in your diet is worse for you than cholesterol in your diet and may signal your liver to produce even more cholesterol to increase abdominal fat. MUFAs, then, by reducing blood cholesterol, may contribute to a loss of belly fat as "Flat Belly Diet!" contends.

The Truth

The Flat Belly Diet is not a scam or fad as much as it is a healthy eating plan. It is more plant-based than the typical American diet and falls in line with the federal 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It is not a vegetarian diet unless you choose for it to be. It is quite low in saturated fat and, of course, contains a MUFA at every meal. However, the Flat Belly Diet is not a low-fat diet. Saturated or unsaturated, every gram of fat you eat contains 9 calories. If you are a sedentary 130-lb. woman, you will gain weight on this diet because you require fewer than 1,600 calories to maintain your weight. But, if you are moderately active and eat more than 1,600 calories a day, the truth is you can lose both weight and inches around your middle on the Flat Belly Diet, and you will become healthier in the process.

A Tip

To find the calories needed to maintain your current weight, multiply your weight by 15 if you are active and 12 if you are sedentary. If the calories are more than 1,600, the Flat Belly Diet may be right for you.