Although not everything is known about the way
the leptin acts on the various organs of the body,
scientists have linked it to obesity in both mice and
humans. Injections of leptin were found to have sig-
nificant effects on the body weight of mice. Mice with
mutated genes that made their body unable to react to
leptin were found to have a body mass three times
greater than mice that had a normal gene. It is possible
that some humans have a similar mutated gene, but
evidence suggests that it is more likely that most leptin
problems in humans stem from a decreased sensitivity
to leptin due to the overproduction over time of the
hormone. The presence of high leptin levels has been
shown to correlate with obesity and weight gain in
humans. In a March 2007 study published in theJour-
nal of Clinical Endocrinology andMetabolism, Abby
F. Flesch et al. presented research showing that chil-
dren with high levels of leptin in the blood were more
likely to gain body fat during the follow-up period
than children with low leptin levels.
The Rosedale diet suggests that dieters severely
restrict carbohydrates in the diet, and eat a large
quantity of ‘‘good’’ fats. Although unsaturated fats,
like those found in olive oil and many nuts, have been
found to be more healthy than saturated fats, such as
the fat found in butter and fatty meats, it is not clear
that unsaturated fats are good for the body in large
quantities. Although some fat is necessary for a
healthy diet, most experts recommended a diet low in
all types of fats, with unsaturated fats preferable to
saturated and trans fats.
The United States Department of Agriculture
makes recommendations for the number of servings
from each food group that should be eaten each day to
get a balanced, healthy diet in its MyPyramid food
guide. MyPyramid recommends the equivalent of 3 to4 ounces of grains each day for healthy adults, of
which at least half should be whole grains. Because
the Rosedale diet limits carbohydrates so severely,
dieters may not eat enough bread and grains to meet
this recommendation.
In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control recom-
mended that adults get 30 minutes or more of light to
moderate exercise each day for good health. The rec-
ommendations that Dr. Rosedale makes for dieters
following his diet plan is less than this minimum rec-
ommendation. Dieters may wish to consider doing
exercise above and beyond the amount recommended
by Dr. Rosedale.Resources
BOOKS
Castracane, Daniel V. and Michael C. Henson, eds.Leptin.
New York: Springer, 2006.
Rosedale, Ron and Carol Colman.The Rosedale Diet.
New York: HarperResource, 2004.
Shannon, Joyce Brennfleck ed.Diet and Nutrition Source-
book.Detriot, MI: Omnigraphics, 2006.
Willis, Alicia P. ed.Diet Therapy Research Trends.New
York: Nova Science, 2007.
ORGANIZATIONS
American Dietetic Association. 120 South Riverside Plaza,
Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995. Telephone:
(800) 877-1600. Website:<http://www.eatright.org>
OTHER
Get the Skinny on Diets2007.<http://www.skinnyondiets.com>
(March 26, 2007).Helen M. DavidsonRussian dietseeCentral European and Rus-
sian dietRosedale diet