products per day and eliminate other food; women
taller than 5 ft 8 in and men are allowed four servings.
Allowable beverages include coffee, tea, and tap or
bottled water; forbidden beverages include alcoholic
drinks, coffee or tea with milk added, fruit juices, and
any drink containing sugar. The dieter is advised to
drinkatleast2qtoffluidperday.Stabilization: After four weeks on the Sole Source
program, the dieter can add a meal of 3 oz lean white
fish or poultry, cottage cheese, and a portion of green
or white vegetables to the basic Cambridge meals for
a total of 790 calories per day. The dieter can then
return to the Sole Source regimen for further rapid
weight loss. There are other options allowing the
dieter 1,000-1,200 calories per day that are better
suited for gradual weight loss.
Weight maintenance: Begins at an intake of 1,500
calories per day.
American version
The American version of the Cambridge diet is
divided into five separate programs:
Regular: Designed for a weight loss of 2–5 lb per week,
the Regular Program provides 820 calories per day:
three servings of Cambridge Food for Life formula
plus one 400 calorie conventional meal. The dieter is
advised to drink a minimum of 8–10 8-oz glasses of
water each day. Tea and coffee are allowed, but not as
substitutes for the water. There is no stipulation that
the Regular program is limited to four weeks.
Fast Start: Similar to the British Sole Source pro-
gram, the Fast Start program is to be followed no
longer than two weeks at a time. The dieter is advised
to return to the Regular Program and contact a
physician if they experience headaches, nausea, or
vomiting.
Physician-Monitored: Recommended for persons who
need to lose 30 lb or more, or who are under a doctor’s
care for other medical conditions. It is essentially the
British Sole Source program with the added provision
that the dieter should switch to the Regular Program
when he or she is 10–15 lb from their goal weight.
Maintenance: Uses the Food for Life nutrition for-
mula as a foundation, while adding conventional
foods until a caloric intake is determined to maintain
an ideal weight.
Lifetime Nutrition: The Food for Life company rec-
ommends using the Cambridge diet products as meal
substitutes for one or two meals a day, or as snacks
indefinitely. This maintenance program is not endorsed
by any government agency.
Function
The Cambridge diet claims to be a flexible plan
that can be used as a VLCD for rapid initial weight
loss and then modified to serve as a maintenance diet.Benefits
The Cambridge diet offers a rapid initial weight
loss that compensates (for some dieters) the low calo-
rie intake and other food restrictions. The American
version also offers a peer support network and a self-
instruction program based on cognitive behavioral
therapy (CBT) called Control for Life.Precautions
People under a physician’s care for high blood
pressure, kidney or liver disease, diabetes, or who
need to lose more than 30 lb should consult their
physician before starting the Cambridge diet or any
VLCD. The Cambridge diet should not be used by
adolescents under the age of 16, and should be used
by elderly persons, pregnant women, or nursing
women only with caution.Risks
VLCDs in general should not be attempted with-
out consulting a physician, and the Cambridge diet is
no exception. The diet is not suitable for people whose
work or athletic training requires high levels of phys-
ical activity. One physical risk from this diet, as from
other VLCDs, is an increased likelihood of developing
cholelithiasis, orgallstones.
There is also some financial risk to using the Cam-
bridge diet. Although the American website states that
the Physician-Monitored version is less expensive than
VLCD hospital programs, all forms of the Cambridge
diet cost $95–100 for a 15-day supply of the Original
330 Formula or $85–89 for a 15-day supply of the
Food for Life formula. A case of six cans of the
Original 330 Formula, supplying a total of 126 serv-
ings, is about $160. Although the cost per meal is
between $1.25 and $1.45, the fact that the dieter must
purchase at least a two-week quantity at a time is a risk
for people who may not like the products well enough
to remain on the diet.
A common criticism of the Cambridge diet, as of
all VLCDs, is that it does not teach the dieter how to
make wise food choices or the other lifestyle changes
necessary to maintain weight loss. The British website
states rather defensively, ‘‘To these armchair critics
[the Cambridge diet] is just another fad diet. Nothing
could be further from the truth as anyone can vouchCambridge diet