Seth Roberts (August 17 1953 - April 26 2014) was a professor of

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

Tsinghua University Tsinghua University (; abbr. THU) is a national public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. The university is a member of the C9 League, Double First Class University Plan, Projec ...

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

and

emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

professor of psychology at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

. He was the author of the bestselling book '' The Shangri-La Diet'',Dubner and Levit
"Does the Truth Lie Within? The Accidental Diet"
September 11, 2005.
on SethRoberts.net and a prolific blogger. He was well known for his work in

self-experimentation Self-experimentation refers to the special case of single-subject research in which the experimenter conducts the experiment on themselves. Usually this means that a single person is the designer, operator, subject, analyst, and user or reporter ...

which led to many discoveries, including his diet, multiple publications and a popular blog.Frauenfelder, Mar
Seth Roberts' fascinating self-experiments
June 1, 2008. Roberts's work has been featured in ''

The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. ...

'' and '' The Scientist''.Slack, Gord
"The Self-Experimenter"
Vol 21 , Issue 3 , Page 24 He was also a contributor to '' Spy'' and a member of the university's Center for Weight and Health.Seth Roberts:
Spy Magazine ArticlesInterview with Gary Taubes (Part 7)
February 7, 2008. Roberts died in April 2014 after collapsing while hiking.

Self-experimentation

In the early 1980s, Roberts suffered from

insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy ...

. Through self-experimentation, he set out to solve this problem by varying aspects of his lifestyle, like exercise and

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...

intake.Minkel, J.R
Self-Experimenter freed himself from insomnia, acne, and love handles
''Scientific American'', March 18, 2008. After many failures to see an improvement in his sleep, he eventually discovered that delaying breakfast, seeing faces in the morning, morning light, and standing solved this problem.Roberts, Set
Self-experimentation as a source for new ideas:
Ten examples about sleep, mood, health, and weight, 2004. When Roberts discovered a trend or solution, he typically looked backwards evolutionarily for an explanation. Roberts would later apply this method to solving problems in health, sleep, and mood, among other things. The generalized validity of Robert's conclusions have been questioned by scientists who assert that his experiments lacked a

control group In the design of experiments, hypotheses are applied to experimental units in a treatment group. In comparative experiments, members of a control group receive a standard treatment, a placebo, or no treatment at all. There may be more than one t ...

, were not blinded, and were potentially

bias Bias is a disproportionate weight ''in favor of'' or ''against'' an idea or thing, usually in a way that is closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair. Biases can be innate or learned. People may develop biases for or against an individual, a group ...

ed. Roberts was called the "champion of self-experimentation" for his contributions to the field. Professor

Tyler Cowen Tyler Cowen (; born January 21, 1962) is an American economist, columnist and blogger. He is a professor at George Mason University, where he holds the Holbert L. Harris chair in the economics department. He hosts the economics blog ''Marginal R ...

called Roberts' theme of experimenting on the self the "highest stage of science".

The Shangri-La Diet

As a

graduate student Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and st ...

, Roberts studied

animal learning Animal cognition encompasses the mental capacities of non-human animals including insect cognition. The study of animal conditioning and learning used in this field was developed from comparative psychology. It has also been strongly influence ...

, specifically "rat psychology".Interview with Author Dr. Seth Roberts
The Diet Channel After Roberts read a report by Israel Ramirez studying the effect of

saccharin Saccharin (''aka'' saccharine, Sodium sacchari) is an artificial sweetener with effectively no nutritional value. It is about 550 times as sweet as sucrose but has a bitter or metallic aftertaste, especially at high concentrations. Saccharin ...

on weight gain in rats, he thought of his new theory "in seconds".Ramirez, Israe
Stimulation of Energy Intake and Growth by Saccharin in Rats
September 25, 1989. Roberts tried about ten different variations, such as eating

sushi is a Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is "sushi rice," also ...

, eating foods with low

glycemic index The glycemic (glycaemic) index (GI; ) is a number from 0 to 100 assigned to a food, with pure glucose arbitrarily given the value of 100, which represents the relative rise in the blood glucose level two hours after consuming that food. The GI of ...

, and drinking

vinegar Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to ...

, before arriving at the Shangri La Diet. Roberts argued that weight is controlled by maintaining

body weight Human body weight is a person's Mass versus weight, mass or weight. Strictly speaking, body weight is the measurement of weight without items located on the person. Practically though, body weight may be measured with clothes on, but without shoe ...

at a certain amount, referred to as a "set point". When weight is above the set point,

appetite Appetite is the desire to eat food items, usually due to hunger. Appealing foods can stimulate appetite even when hunger is absent, although appetite can be greatly reduced by satiety. Appetite exists in all higher life-forms, and serves to reg ...

decreases, and it takes less food to feel full. When weight is below the set point, appetite increases, and it takes more food to feel full. He further stated that eating strongly flavored foods (like soda or donuts) can raise the set point, whereas flavorless foods (like sugar water, canola oil, extra light olive oil) can lower the set point.A Spoonful of Sugar
Book Review These flavorless foods must be consumed in a "flavorless window," at least one hour after and one hour before consuming flavors. Consumption of 100-400 flavorless calories per day lowers the set point, and therefore, lowers weight. The name is taken from the fictional

Shangri-La Shangri-La is a fictional place in Asia's Kunlun Mountains (昆仑山), Uses the spelling 'Kuen-Lun'. described in the 1933 novel '' Lost Horizon'' by English author James Hilton. Hilton portrays Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, ge ...

, a reference Roberts explained by stating that Shangri-La is a "very peaceful place. My diet puts people at peace with food." The diet has been endorsed or mentioned by

, Stephen Dubner,

Tim Ferriss Timothy Ferriss (born July 20, 1977) is an American entrepreneur, investor, author, podcaster, and lifestyle guru. He became well-known through his ''4-Hour'' self-help book series—including ''The 4-Hour Work Week'', ''The 4-Hour Body'', and ' ...

Tucker Max Tucker Max (born September 27, 1975) is an American author and public speaker. He chronicles his drinking and sexual encounters in the form of short story, short stories on his website ''TuckerMax.com'', which has received millions of visitors ...

and

Wired Magazine ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San F ...

writer Gary Wolf.Marginal Revolution:
The Shangri-La Diet, April 7, 2006.Ferriss, Ti
Relax Like A Pro: Five Steps to Hacking Your Sleep
"thanks Seth Roberts, PHD. for this tip"Tipping the Scales
Rudius Media Messageboards It was criticized by

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...

nutritionist Dr. John Ford.Ford, John on TCSDaily

Book

Through word of mouth, the book became a ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

bestseller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, coo ...

. It made it as high as #2 on

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential econom ...

's bestseller list. At one point in 2006, Roberts' book was ranked #3 on Amazon while on ''

Freakonomics ''Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything'' is the debut non-fiction book by University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt and ''New York Times'' journalist Stephen J. Dubner. Published on April 12, 2005, by Wil ...

'', a friend and early supporter of the book, it was ranked #4. The Shangri-La Diet was also featured on ''

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. ...

'', where journalist

Diane Sawyer Lila Diane Sawyer (; born December 22, 1945) is an American television broadcast journalist known for anchoring major programs on two networks including '' ABC World News Tonight'', ''Good Morning America'', '' 20/20'', and ''Primetime'' newsmag ...

tried a tablespoon of olive oil.

Criticism of Ranjit Chandra

In September 2001, Dr.

Ranjit Chandra Ranjit Kumar Chandra (रंजीत कुमार चंद्रा; born February 2, 1938) is an Indian-born Canadian researcher and self-proclaimed "father of nutritional immunology" who committed scientific and health care fraud. Chandra' ...

, a prominent

nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficien ...

researcher Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness t ...

, published a study about the effects of vitamin supplementation on the cognitive functions of the

elderly Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...

.Chandra, Ranji
Effect of Vitamin and Trace-Element Supplementation on Cognitive Function of the Elderly
April 13, 2001. Roberts and

Saul Sternberg Saul Sternberg is a Professor Emeritus of Psychology and former Paul C. Williams Term Professor (1993–1998) at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a pioneer in the field of cognitive psychology in the development of experimental technique ...

, a psychology professor at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universit ...

, discovered inconsistencies in the data presented, specifically in the data distribution and standard deviation.Roberts and Sternber
Letters to the Editor:
Do Nutritional Supplements Improve Cognitive Function in the Elderly, November 12, 2002. Roberts is quoted as stating "the results were not just implausible, they were impossible." The story received recognition in both the

British Medical Journal ''The BMJ'' is a weekly peer-reviewed medical trade journal, published by the trade union the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world's oldest general medical journals. Origin ...

and the

. The CBC ran a three-part documentary about the controversy called "The Secret Life of Dr. Chandra". In 2005, ''Nutrition'' issued a retraction of Chandra's original paper.Nutrition Retracts 2001 Paper
on TheScientist.com

Death

Roberts died on Saturday, April 26, 2014. He collapsed while hiking near his home in Berkeley, California. Occlusive

coronary artery disease Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial ischemia, or simply heart disease, involves Ischemia, the reduction of blood flow to the myocardium, heart muscle due to build-up o ...

and

cardiomegaly Cardiomegaly (sometimes megacardia or megalocardia) is a medical condition in which the heart is enlarged. As such, it is more commonly referred to simply as "having an enlarged heart". It is usually the result of underlying conditions that make t ...

contributed to his death.Seth Roberts Blog
"Seth"
10 May 2014. Retrieved on 6 June 2014.

References

External links

sethroberts.net
his official website with blog and forum
"Self-Experimenter Freed Himself from Insomnia, Acne and Love Handles: Seth Roberts says the key to self-help lies in the scientific method,"
by ''

Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...

s J.R. Minkel
What Makes Food Fattening? A Pavlovian Theory of Weight Control
outline of his theory of calorie-associated flavors raising the set point
Self-experimentation as a source of new ideas: Ten examples about sleep, mood, health, and weight
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Seth 1950s births 2014 deaths University of California, Berkeley faculty Writers from Berkeley, California 20th-century American psychologists American bloggers American food writers Diet food advocates 21st-century American non-fiction writers