Dukan Diet: Newest Fad or Weight-Loss Answer?

There is a new diet in town, and this one is already making big waves. The Dukan Diet has been popular in France for years, and now Dr. Pierre Dukan is bringing his weight-loss plan overseas to North America. There are reports that soon-to-be Princess Kate Middleton and her mother are on the diet to try and drop extra pounds before the royal wedding in April. Dukan’s book has already sold millions of copies worldwide and has been translated into 14 languages—but is it all just hype? In the preface of the American edition of his book, “The Dukan Diet: The Real Reason the French Stay Thin,” Dukan wrote, “My dear friends,today I am reaching out to you with the certainty that I can help you put an end to the inevitability of weight problems in North America," according to the New York Times. The diet consists of high-protein, low-fat meals—which is nothing new—but adds very large amounts of water and oat bran. The diet is cut into week-long cycles with some including vegetables. There is no fruit allowed, but wine and dessert are allowed for a certain number of days—thus appealing to the French. And what about exercise? The requirement is very light, about 20 minutes a day, with no elevators allowed Tanya Zuckerbrot, New York City registered dietician and Fox News contributor, told FoxNews.comshe doesn’t think the Dukan Diet is anything to get too excited about. “The Dukan Diet is not based on any scientific data, and seems to be a modified version of the Atkins Diet . This diet is protein-centric and highlyrestrictive in the initial stages, without much research to back it up,”Zuckerbrot said. Zuckerbrot was concerned about the restrictions on fruits and vegetables in the plan. “A diet consisting of high fiber carbohydrates, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and a small amount of heart healthy fat is the key to looking and feeling your best,” she said. According to Zuckerbrot, the Dukan Diet already has a bad reputation in the world of dietitians. “France’s National Agency for Food, Environmental and Work Health Safety pointed out the Dukan Diet as one of 15 imbalanced and potentially risky diets. The British Dietetic Association, has also listed the Dukan Diet as one of the five worst diets of 2011,” she said. By eliminating key foods from your diet, Zuckerbrot said Dukan’s plan can create a nutrition deficiency as well as high cholesterol and even kidney problems. The bottom line with this diet, is it will more than likely come and go with the rest — there is just not enough variety, Zuckerbrot added. “You will initially see weight loss on the Dukan Diet, but this eating plan is not sustainable. Also a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates is expensive. This diet is just that, a diet, not a healthy maintainable lifestyle,” she said.