Critique of a Popular Diet Book


Skill Area: Medical Nutrition Therapy

Assignment Title:  Critique of The Martini Diet: The Self-Indulgent Way to a Thinner, More Fabulous You!

What I learned: With this assignment, I learned how to determine the scientific credibility of a trendy diet program. I realized that a desperate dieter is easily fooled, even by a diet plan like this with little scientific merit.  While it is likely that a follower would lose weight on this diet that included less that 1000 kcals per day, it is unhealthy and potentially harmful to your body in many ways.

Reflection: This assignment helped me realize that for some people who want to lose weight, no diet sounds too irrational or outrageous. There are many factors to consider when choosing a diet plan, but fad diets, like the one described in this book rarely produce satisfactory results or long-term maintenance of weight loss.

Relevance: This diet is the equivalent of nutritional propaganda. It uses marketing tools to make the diet seem appealing and even fun.  The ability to analyze the nutritional as well as practical value of a diet plan is crucial to all careers in the field of Nutrition and Food Service.