The Stillman Diet is a
high-protein,
low-carbohydrate diet
Low-carbohydrate diets restrict carbohydrate consumption relative to the average diet. Foods high in carbohydrates (e.g., sugar, bread, pasta) are limited, and replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of fat and protein (e.g., meat, p ...
that was created in 1967 by physician Irwin Maxwell Stillman (1896–1975).
Overview
Stillman and
Samm Sinclair Baker
Samm Sinclair Baker (born in Paterson, New Jersey, July 29, 1909 – March 5, 1997) was the author/co-author of many how-to and self-help books, most notably ''The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet'' which he co-authored with Dr. Herman Tarnow ...
authored the book ''The Doctor's Quick Weight Loss Diet'' that first advertised the Stillman Diet in 1967. The animal based high-protein diet includes lean beef, veal, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs and non-fat cottage cheese. Spices, tabasco sauce, herbs, salt, and pepper are also allowed. Condiments, butter, dressings and any kind of fat or oil are not permitted. Tea, coffee, and non-caloric soft drinks can be consumed, but only in addition to the 8 daily glasses of water required. It's also recommended that dieters eat 6 small meals per day instead of 3 large ones.
The diet is a carbohydrate-restricted diet, similar to that of Dr. Robert Atkins',
Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet is a low-carbohydrate fad diet devised by Robert Atkins in the 1970s, marketed with claims that carbohydrate restriction is crucial to weight loss and that the diet offered "a high calorie way to stay thin forever".
The diet bec ...
(although Atkins' diet allows significant fat consumption).
Karen Carpenter
Karen Carpenter
Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer, who formed half of the sibling duo the Carpenters alongside her older brother Richard. With a distinctive three-octave contralto range, she was praise ...
began using the diet in her teens. Karen was 5'4" and 145 pounds when she went on the Stillman Diet in 1967. In 1983, she died of complications related to
anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gr ...
.
Reception
The Stillman diet has been criticized by medical experts and
nutritionist A nutritionist is a person who advises others on matters of food and nutrition and their impacts on health. Some people specialize in particular areas, such as sports nutrition, public health, or animal nutrition, among other disciplines. In many c ...
s as a
fad diet
A fad diet is a diet that becomes popular for a short time, similar to fads in fashion, without being a standard dietary recommendation, and often making unreasonable claims for fast weight loss or health improvements. There is no single defini ...
.
[Kuske, Terrence T. ''Quackery and Fad Diets''. In Elaine B. Feldman. (1983). ''Nutrition in the Middle and Later Years''. John Wright & Sons. p. 297. ]"Health Experts Advise Against High-Protein Diets"
WebMD
WebMD is an American corporation known primarily as an online publisher of news and information pertaining to human health and well-being. The site includes information pertaining to drugs. It is one of the top healthcare websites.
It was foun ...
. Retrieved November 22, 2018. Physician Terrence T. Kuske wrote regarding the Stillman diet:
It induces a degree of diuresis because of the low carbohydrate, but is a relatively unpalatable diet. Adherence to the diet induces fatigue, nausea and lassitude or exhaustion. Long-term use of this diet, because of its composition, may induce vitamin deficiency. Studies of individuals following the Stillman Diet have demonstrated quite conclusively that it raises the serum cholesterol, with its attendant risks.
See also
* List of diets
An individual's diet is the sum of food and drink that one habitually consumes. Dieting is the practice of attempting to achieve or maintain a certain weight through diet. People's dietary choices are often affected by a variety of factors, incl ...
*Scarsdale diet
The Scarsdale diet is a high-protein low-carbohydrate fad diet designed for weight loss created in the 1970s by Herman Tarnower, named for the town in New York where he practiced cardiology, described in the book ''The Complete Scarsdale Medical ...
References
Further reading
*
{{Fad diets
Low-carbohydrate diets
Fad diets
High-protein diets