Dr. Walter Kempner's Rice Diet

Dr. Walter Kempner, a Duke University physician, developed the rice diet in the 1930s. He starting advocating the diet after finding that people with diabetes and hypertension benefited from having rice at each meal. No matter how many calories these people consumed, they lost weight when they regularly ate rice. Today, the diet is promoted by the Rice Diet Program, a treatment facility in North Carolina. Despite the name, the rice diet includes fruits, vegetables, grains, juices and beans.

Premise

Dr. Kempner had his diabetes and hypertension patients eat a bowl of white rice at every meal. He had observed that worldwide, wherever rice was a staple, the incidence of hypertension and diabetes was low. Initially, he put his patients on a strict diet that included rice. But then he discovered that patients who had gone off the strict diet continued to lose weight if they were still eating rice at each meal. He began using the diet to treat obesity.

Phase I

Phase I is the most restrictive phase of the diet, as you consume only 800 calories per day. When done at the Rice Diet Program facility, this phase lasts two to seven days. The diet during this phase consists of grains, fruits and rice -- brown, white or converted. This phase is focused primarily on ridding your body of sodium. Dr. Kempner believed that sodium was related to cravings and appetite. The Rice Diet Program warns that you should not do this phase for more than one day if attempting this diet program at home.

Phase 2

Beans are added to the diet in Phase 2. You can also eat fish once per week. Substitute poultry and lean meat for the fish if you do not have a heart condition. Weight loss is the focus of this stage. You consume 1,000 calories per day and remain in this phase until you reach your weight-loss goal.

Phase 3

Phase 3 includes all the foods of the previous phases with the addition of fish, poultry and other lean meats and nonfat dairy. The goal of this phase is creating a diet you can use for the rest of your life. Note that you consume 1,200 calories during this phase.

Treatment Center

The Rice Diet treatment facility in Durham continues to provide an outpatient program catering to those with obesity, hypertension, diabetes and heart problems. Treatment lengths vary from two to eight weeks. It provides clients with detailed meal plans, training, workshops and medical supervision. It also provides nutritional guidance to help clients translate the diet in real-world settings.

Warning

Consult with your doctor or nutritionist before trying the rice diet at home. The American Dietetic Association warns that given the very low-calorie and restrictive nature of the diet, you may need both medical and emotional assistance. Further, the diet is low in calcium and vitamin D, and you will need supplements.