The Flat Belly Diet is a diet created by two editors at Prevention Magazine based on the traditional Mediterranean diet and including a serving of monounsaturated fat with each meal. Monounsaturated fats include chocolate, avocados, flax seed oil and olive oil. The diet does not mention polyunsaturated fats such as the omega-3 fatty acids present in cold water fish. This, along with other flaws, was cited in an article titled "Flat Belly Diet: Does It Fall Flat?" by Dr. Betty Kovacs on MedicineNet.com as among the reasons that this diet falls short of its promises.
The Premise of The Flat Belly Diet
The idea presented in this diet is that, by consuming certain foods, you do not need to exercise and belly fat will fall away. As Dr. Kovacs notes, there is no research to suggest that the "visceral" fat held in the abdominal area, as opposed to "subcutaneous" fat, is harder to lose. As Dr. Kovacs notes, it is actually easier to lose than subcutaneous fat. There is no doubt, however, that this visceral fat is more dangerous to our health.
The diet also notes that it is 32 days long, which is how long a person needs to convert dietary changes into lifestyle changes. As Dr. Kovacs mentions, it may take a person longer to make dietary changes permanent, and this is OK. Thirty-two days is an arbitrary figure, which may work for some people but not all.
Eating fruits and vegetables in season, whole grains and a limited amount of red meat are the other important features of this diet. This is in keeping with a traditional Mediterranean diet, in which seasonal foods figure prominently.
Flat Belly Diet: Pros
The diet presents a way for a person to eat healthy foods and change his lifestyle without feeling deprived. The idea of eating a monounsaturated fat at every meal, or every four hours, makes some sense. These foods are often considered "treats" and so a dieter may feel that she is getting something special every four hours. This could keep motivation high. Kathleen Blanchard, in an article in the Examiner.com, notes that the foods in this diet are healthy.
Because this diet tries to promote the idea of eating healthy foods in moderation, there is reason to think it is a good choice for many people. Although there are other, perhaps better choices for fats to add to the diet, and certainly it is true that fats need to be consumed in a balance (with, for example, both omega-3s and omega-6 fatty acids in balance), there is room for many people to benefit. Dieters who live a sedentary lifestyle and who are currently eating fast food and other unhealthy choices could benefit from making the changes suggested in this diet.
Flat Belly Diet: Cons
Dr. Kovacs criticizes the fact that this diet only uses monounsaturated fats. Both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are necessary in a healthy diet. Also, the Flat Belly Diet claims that eating every four hours will stave off your hunger. This has not been proven by research, according to Dr. Kovacs. Dieters are also told to take a four-day, 1,200 calorie "pre-diet". As noted by Dr. Kovacs, this low-calorie start to the diet may not be a good idea for a diet that is supposed to be promoting a healthy lifestyle. By consuming so few calories, dieters are prone to burn muscle, not fat.
As noted on Everydiet.com, The Flat Belly Diet's claims are overstated.The idea that dieters will lose seven pounds in the first 96 hours is not healthy, and also probably not true, according to Everydiet.com. Also, although the diet claims that no exercise is required, exercise is definitely encouraged. Exercises are included in the program, and at different times, dieters are told to, for example, "walk for five minutes after meals".
A Good Flat Belly Diet
By choosing the healthy parts of The Flat Belly Diet and adding in things like moderate exercise, a higher caloric intake, and more balanced fats including cold water fish, this diet could work as a flat belly diet. No diet is perfect, and to claim that you will lose belly fat over other fat is difficult to state as fact, according to Dr. Kovacs.
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