The Dukan Diet... two years later

The Dukan Diet, named after dr. Pierre Dukan, a French physician, has been the diet ever since it was proclaimed as a wonder diet by the likes of royal-in-law Carole Middleton. (In fact, dr. Dukan himself has named Mrs. Middleton as the second single cause for his diet's recent boom.)

Considering that the wedding for which Mrs. Middleton supposedly thought she needed to shed weight was barely a month ago and only came into public awareness in November of last year (when the engagement was announced), it is fair to surmise that even Mrs. Middleton herself hasn't had the time thoroughly to evaluate the long-term effects - or efficacy - of the diet.

In France, where dr. Dukan hails from, the diet has been known for a few years now. And according to a survey conducted by CCM Benchmark and published in this article I read today, in the online magazine Journal des Femmes, 75 % of those who undertook the Dukan diet regained their weight within two years, with 36 % having regained it within a year. After four years, the percentage of those who regained their original weight is 80 %, according to this study. The same percentage, 80 %, is reported by Afssa (the French agency for health safety) among Dukan dieters after only two years on the diet. 11 % started regaining weight after three months, and another 11 % within 3 - 6 months after having started the regime. (Of those who reported mid- and long-term weight regain, 60 % said that they were "unable to complete the stabilisation phase".)
 

The same, of course, is true of most highly restrictive diets, leading the French health authorities to conclude that the Dukan diet is "the same as other diets".
 

What many people do not realise is that weight is all too often associated with hormones - which may also be the reason behind low energy levels and depression leading to so-called "emotional eating". (Here is a "long and pathetic list" of hypothyroid symptoms for you to enjoy.)

Is it possible to redress the hormonal balance with food? The jury is still out, but it stands to reason that, if food interferes with our hormones (as it does), then proper nutrition will help our hormonal balance. 
And there is a diet, called the Michael Aziz'sThe Perfect 10 Diet which claims to address just this. (The "perfect 10" referring to the ten essential hormones.)

Please, know that I am not endorsing this book or the diet as such. (And the writing style of the book is rather terrible, as is dr. Aziz's PR approach.) Anyway, here is a review of the book from the Los Angeles Times.
 

In a nutshell, the book recommends the following approach for both short-term and long-term weight loss and hormonal balance:


- Cut all artificial additives (but especially high-fructose corn syrup and sodium monoglutamate) as well as all processed soy proteins. (Soy in general is frowned upon by dr. Aziz - as well as many other nutrition experts.)

- Cut all "low fat" or "lite" products.

- Out with all baked goods or anything made with either white flour or white sugar (or both). 


- Out with fruit juices. (If you want fruit - which is highly commendable - eat whole fruits, not juices, says dr. Aziz.)

You will find a summary list of allowed foods in some of the Amazon reviews. It includes full fat milk and dairy (just not in excessive amounts), shellfish, poultry, eggs, oatmeal, grains, nuts, vegetables and whole fruits (i.e. not juices). It also allows the use of Stevia and, exceptionally, of agave syrup.

I haven't been on this diet, but it makes sense. And it's not a diet on which you're likely to starve - although it can be somewhat more difficult for vegetarians (of which I am one) to follow.

The best part of the book is that he actually explains how and why certain food substances interfere with specific hormones. I am not a nutrition expert, so it is difficult for me to assess the quality of research behind these statements, but at least it is reassuring to read about the actual causes of hormonal dysfunction. If Aziz's conclusions are valid, then it makes sense that eventual weight regain would be less likely on such a diet, and that the benefits include much more than just a slimmer figure.

If you've had any direct experiences with this diet let me know. I'd be glad to hear from you and publish your experience here.