research indicated that satiety, the sense of feeling full
was connected to the volume and weight of food con-
sumed. A person starting a low-energy-dense diet
didn’t have to eat less food in terms of the amount
consumed. However, the type of food was changed,
with high-energy foods restricted and the addition of
more low-energy-dense foods. The person ate the same
volume of food, but consumed fewer calories.
In addition the dieter would experience a sense of
fullness earlier because low-energy-dense food fre-quently had highfiberandwatercontents. Those
foods took longer to digest, causing satiety after the
consumption of fewer calories.
Furthermore, the University of Alabama pio-
neered the use of an unlimited allowance of whole
vegetables and fruits in diets. It proved a successful
method for losing weight and not gaining it back.
The Mayo Clinic drew on that research and cre-
ated the Health Weight Pyramid and the clinic’s
weight-loss program. The Mayo Clinic Healthy
Weight Program is a low-calorie, plant-based diet.
The emphasis is on the low-energy dense -foods in
each food group. There is no limit on the amount of
fresh fruits and vegetables allowed. Other low-energy
dense-foods include whole-graincarbohydrateslike
pasta, brown rice, and baked potatoes.
Information about the Mayo Clinic Healthy
Weight Program was available in the spring of 2007
on the Mayo Clinic website in the section titled ‘‘Mayo
Clinic Diet: A weight-loss program for life.’’ The 12-
week program was also detailed in the 2005 book
Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody.The other Mayo Clinic diet
During the 1940s, the dietitians at the Mayo Clinic
began receiving questions from the public about the
popular diet falsely attributed to the medical facility.
The clinic had no connection to the fad weight-loss
plan, and the origin of the Mayo Clinic fad diet was
not known. The popular diet required the consump-
tion of a half-grapefruit at each meal. Breakfast some-
times included two slices of bacon, and dieters ate
meat during other meals. Missing from the weight-
loss plan were other fruits, breads, and some vegeta-
bles. Since the 1940s, the Mayo Clinic has received
calls about the fad diet. Most people inquire about it
in the spring, according to a statement on the clinic
web site in 2007.Description
The four cornerstones of the Mayo Clinic Healthy
Weight Program are the Healthy Weight Pyramid,
physical activity, setting goals, and motivation. Diet-
ers use the pyramid to plan menus rich in healthy
foods such as fruits and vegetables. The pyramid
calls for moderate amounts of other foods. Physical
activity should be increased, with the ultimate goal of
a person doing moderate physical activity for 30 to 60
minutes each day for most days of the week.
Goal-setting is based on actions taken rather than
pounds lost. Goals such as increasing the amount of
fruit consumed or exercise performed could be set andKEY TERMS
Body Mass Index—Also known as BMI, the index
determines whether a person is at a healthy weight,
underweight, overweight, or obese. The BMI can
be calculated by converting the person’s height
into inches. That amount is multiplied by itself
and then divided by the person’s weight. That num-
ber is then multiplied by 703. The metric formula
for the BMI is the weight in kilograms divided by
the square of height in meters
Calorie—The nutritional term for a kilocalorie, the
unit of energy needed to raise the temperature of
one liter of water by one degree centigrade at sea
level. A nutritional calorie equals 1,000 calories.
Carbohydrate—A nutrient that the body uses as an
energy source. A carbohydrate provide 4 calories
of energy per gram.
Cholesterol—A fatty substance found each cell of
the human body and in animal foods.
Fat—A nutrient that the body uses as an energy
source. Fats produce 9 calories per gram.
Fiber—A complex carbohydrate not digested by
the human body. Plants are the source of fiber.
Morbidly obese—Also known as extremely obese,
the condition of someone with a BMI of more than
40.
Obese—A person with a high amount of body fat;
someone with a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher.
Overweight—A person is too heavy for his or her
height; someone with a Body Mass Index of from 25
to 30.
Protein—A nutrient that the body uses as an energy
source. Proteins produce 4 calories per gram.
Serum cholesterol—Cholesterol that travels in the
blood.
Thermogenesis—The generation of heat in the body.Mayo Clinic plan (endorsed by clinic)