Z
Zone diet
Definition A mixed carbohydrate, protein, and
lower-fat diet designed to help a person’s body
function more efficiently and possibly aid in
weight loss
Inventor Dr. Barry Sears (1947- )
Date Introduced in 1995
The Zone diet has generated much controversy. Barr y Sears
has insisted that his diet is healthy and balanced and helps
people’s bodies burn rather than store fat. Critics, including
the American Heart Association, do not endorse the Zone
diet as heart-healthy.
The “zone” in the Zone diet is the term coined by the
diet’s inventor, biochemist Barry Sears, to describe
the optimal combination of carbohydrate, protein,
and fat intake that causes the body to release chemi-
cals called eicosanoids. These chemicals tell the
body to burn rather than store fat. The Zone diet
recommends that 40 percent of daily calorie intake
derive from carbohydrates, 30 percent from pro-
teins, and 30 percent from monounsaturated fats. At
these proportions, Sears states the body is in the
proper hormone balance. Insulin levels are neither
too low nor too high, the body does not receive any
chemical messages to store excess calories as fat, and
the body can operate with a high degree of chemical
efficiency.
The Zone diet is not a low-fat diet, as are many
diet programs; it is a lower-fat diet. According to
Sears, low-fat diets are actually counterproductive
because they confuse the body into storing fat. The
body thinks it will not receive sufficient amounts of
calories from fats and must therefore store the fat
calories it possesses. Sears developed the Zone diet
to be lower in monounsaturated fats, which de-
creases the rate at which carbohydrates are absorbed
by the body and converted into insulin. Moderate
production levels of insulin cause the body to store
less fat. Less fat storage translates into moderate
weight loss over time. Sears makes distinctions
among types of fat in the Zone diet, with particular
emphasis on the beneficial intake of omega-3 fatty
acids in proportion to omega-6 fatty acids.
The Zone diet does not stress amounts of daily
food consumption, though Sears does recommend
that people moderate their total daily calorie intake.
His diet is based on the premise that people should
consume moderate amounts of carbohydrates, pro-
teins, and fats, in proper 40:30:30 proportion in or-
der to feel better mentally and physically, and to lose
weight. The Zone diet is not a vegetarian diet, which
Sears criticizes as being too low in protein. The
American Heart Association has cited a lack of infor-
mation on the long-term effects of the Zone diet as
the reason for not endorsing it as heart-healthy.Impact The Zone diet is easy to follow and has at-
tracted a number of Hollywood celebrities among its
followers. Sears has continued to study the effects of
his Zone diet and has created a vegetarian-friendly
Zone diet based on soy protein. He continues to
publish Zone diet guides.Further Reading
Sears, Barry.The Anti-Inflammation Zone: Reversing the
Silent Epidemic That’s Destroying Our Health. New
York. ReganBooks, 2005.
_______.The Zone: A Dietar y Road Map. New York:
HarperCollins, 1995.
Victoria ErhartSee also Fads; Food trends; Health care.