The Fit for Life program says it is a lifestyle pro-
gram that will teach people to be healthier. Along with
the personalized diet program, dieters get a ‘‘Clinical
Manual’’ that claims to teach them how their body
works, what is healthy for them, and what is not. The
program is heavily infused with an alternative medi-
cine approach to health and diet, and many of the
explanations it gives for the way the body works are
scientifically questionable and not accepted by practi-
tioners of conventional medicine.
Benefits
The benefits claimed by Fit for Life are not sup-
ported by any scholarly research and are, in fact,
refuted by some research (see below). The main claim,
supported by testimonials and before and after pic-
tures, is that people who follow Fit for Life will lose
weight and keep it off. Along with weight loss will come
a gnereral improvement in health. The official Fit for
Life Website claims an ‘‘86% success rate’’ and men-
tions ‘‘clinical trials’’ without providing any details.
Some benefits of the plan are that it encourages
people to increase their consumption of fresh fruits
and vegetables. Unlike some diets, Fit for Life that it
does not require dieters to buy special foods, keeping
food costs moderate. It does, however, encourage diet-
ers to purchase enzyme supplements from Fit for Life
Industries.
Precautions
The Fit for Life Web site is heavy on the theory
behind the Fit for Life diet, but give few specifics on
how the diet cam be put into effect in daily life. Sample
meal plans and approved food lists are not available
until the dieter signs up for the program at a substantial
fee. This is very different from programs such as Body
for Life orWeight Watcherswhich give potential pro-
gram participants very specific information about diet,
menus, and exercise before they pay for the plan.
Fit for life claims that their rules for eating benefit
everyone from young children to pregnant women to
older adults. Their personalized diet is intended to be a
diet for a lifetime, but it does not take into account
changes in lifecycle nutrition.
Risks
Nutritionists feel that the Fit for Life diet can lead
to serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Banning
dairy products makes it extremely difficult for dieters
to get the recommended daily allowance ofcalcium.
Calcium is needed to keep bones strong and in many
metabolic reactions in the body. Other potential vita-
min deficiencies spotted by dietitians who have ana-
lyzed this diet include deficiencies in vitamin B and B 12.Research and general acceptance
Many professionals in the nutrition community
consider Fit for Life an unhealthy fad diet. The con-
cept behind food combining was tested in a study
published in the April 2007 issue of theInternational
Journal of Obesity. In this study, participants were fed
a 1,100 calorie a day diet to promote weight loss. One
group ate balanced meals containing all the major
food groups. The other group ate a similar diet, but
tested the food-combining theory by avoiding eating
certain food groups at the same time. At the end of six
weeks, the blood sugar, cholesterol, insulin, and blood
fatswere the same for each group. The balanced-meal
group had lost an average of 16.5 lb and the food-
combining group had lost 13.6 lb. This strongly sug-
gests that eating a low calorie diet is much more
important than eating foods in certain combinations.Resources
BOOKS
Bijlefeld, Marjolijn and Sharon K. Zoumbaris.Encyclopedia
of Diet Fads. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003.
Diamond, Harvey and Marilyn Diamond.Fit for Life.
New York, NY: Fine Communications, 2002.
Diamond, Harvey.Fit for Life: A New Beginning: Your
Complete Diet and Health Plan for the Millennium.
New York, NY: Kensington Books, 2000.
Icon Health Publications.Fad Diets: A Bibliography, Medi-
cal Dictionary, and Annotated Research Guide to Inter-
net References. San Diego, CA: Icon Health
Publications, 2004.QUESTIONS TO ASK THE
DOCTOR Do I have health conditions that might be
affected by this diet?
Is there another diet that would meet my weight
and health goals better?
If I go on this diet, will I need to take dietary
supplements? If so, which ones?
Will this diet meet my long-term dietary needs?
Does this diet pose any special risks for me that I
should be aware of?
Is this diet safe and effective for all members of
my family?
Would you recommend someone in your family
going on this diet?Fit for Life diet