Cookie Diet Health Risks

"Cookie diets" are meal-substitution plans that are so calorie-restrictive that they help people lose substantial amounts of weight quickly. They are not necessarily nutritionally balanced, however, and they may trigger potentially serious side effects.

Background

• Several versions of "cookie diets" are being marketed. Dr. Sanford Siegal launched the first version in 1975, but most of these regimens don't vary much. They substitute high-protein cookies--which keep the dieter from feeling hungry--for all but one meal a day. Dinner should consist largely of protein and vegetables, and dieters will only consume about 800 to 1,000 calories total per day. Over time, dieters can transition to eating more regular food while eating cookies to stave off hunger. Although many people will drop pounds quickly on these plans, nutritionists question their safety, long-term effectiveness and sustainability, The Wall St. Journal reports.

Ingredients

• The recipes for the cookies dieters eat throughout the day are proprietary, which means that the manufacturer may not reveal many of the ingredients. Therefore, participants may not know exactly what they're eating or whether they may develop allergic reactions to the cookies.

Effects on Metabolism

• Nutritionists concede that eating 1,000 calories or fewer per day will trigger weight loss, but maybe not for long. This approach causes the body to go into starvation mode by slowing down metabolism--and, therefore, weight loss. The Hofstra (University) Chronicle points out. "For comparison, that's the average caloric intake of a refugee in Darfur, Sudan."

Nutrition

• The cookie diets don't tell customers "anything about their food's overall health and nutritional value," the Hofstra article said. It's also not clear how much soluble fiber the cookies contain, which, the American Heart Association points out, helps lower cholesterol levels and reduce hunger. In addition, the diet doesn't advise people to eat fruits, and it involves eating only one cup of vegetables per day. Manufacturers of the cookies sometimes recommend taking vitamins while on the diet.

Potential Side Effects

• "Weight-loss plans that center around a diet of below 1,000 calories...can result in fatigue, potassium deficiency, gallstones, heart palpitations, dizziness and weakened kidney function," The New York Times reports. Japan-based Soypal cookies contain okara (soy pulp), which absorbs a lot of moisture. The company advises customers to drink plenty of water with the cookies to prevent dehydration.

Sustainability

• Adopt an eating plan that helps you not just reach but also maintain an optimum weight. The cookie diets can't replace two meals a day indefinitely; they're not designed for long-term adherence. They also don't teach customers good eating habits as they transition toward eating fewer cookies and more normal meals. As people reintroduce foods they've avoided---particularly carbohydrates--they typically start regaining the weight they've lost, The New York Times says.