Weight Loss & Diet Plans

Dr. Andrew Weil's Diet

What the Experts Say About Dr. Weil's Diet

Nutrition experts support Weil's diet as a common-sense approach that is based on well-accepted nutritional principles. His plan is a healthy one, the experts agree, because in general people who eat similar diets tend to be healthier than those who don't. "There is a vast amount of scientific evidence that shows that vegetarian diets with small amounts of animal products are the healthiest diets for lowering mortality from heart disease and cancer, and indeed, all causes," says Michael Janson, MD, past president of the American Preventive Medical Association and the author of Dr. Janson's New Vitamin Revolution.

Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, associate dean and professor of nutrition at Georgia State University in Atlanta and former Academey of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson (formerlyThe American Dietetic Association) also gives Weil's diet a nod of approval. She likes the overall approach he takes, blending traditional medical theory and therapies with alternative medicine. "He puts a lot of emphasis on patients' responsibility for their own health," she says, "and that is always good because you can't have somebody standing over you all the time telling you what to eat, what to do."

Food for Thought

Among the array of popular diet writers, Weil recommends a particularly holistic approach. This means that dieters must not only watch what they eat, but also consider the level of stress in their lives, the amount of exercise they do, and other factors. It is a good, practical plan for those willing to follow the guidelines. For those seeking a list of rigid do's and don'ts or easy-to-follow formulas, this plan may prove challenging. In addition, those who are used to diets high in dairy and red meat may find this diet unsatisfying.