The cabbage soup diet is a quick weight loss program
intended to be followed for seven days. The centerpiece
of the diet is a recipe for cabbage soup, which
the dieter may consume in unlimited quantities. In
addition to the cabbage soup, there are certain other
foods the dieter must eat on specific days during the
week. There are several versions of the diet, most of
which promise a 10-17 lb weight loss during the week.
The cabbage soup diet has a number of other
names:
TWA Stewardess Diet
Model’s Diet
Dolly Parton Diet
Military Cabbage Soup Diet
Mayo Clinic Diet
Sacred Heart Hospital Diet
Miami Heart Institute Diet
Spokane Diet
Fat Burning Diet
T. J.’s Miracle Soup Diet
The Skinny
Evaluations of the cabbage soup diet
The American Heart Association (AHA) and the
hospitals whose names have been associated with the
cabbage soup diet have issued formal disclaimers
warning the public that they do not endorse this diet.
The Hoˆ pital du Sacre´ -Coeur de Montre´ al states in its
2004 press release that the diet is contrary to healthy
feeding patterns and even presents potential dangers
to good health. The Sacred Heart Medical Center
(SHMC) in Spokane requests that people do not affiliate
the diet with their hospital as they do not consider
it a safe or healthy method of weight loss. A SHMC
disclaimer states, ‘‘This diet did not originate at
SHMC and it is not endorsed by the dietitians or the
staff of our cardiac rehabilitation program.
One of our major concerns about this diet plan is it emphasizes the
consumption of fruits and vegetables while excluding
the consumption of meat or fish, cereal grains and
milk products on most days. Any diet that focuses on
only certain food groups will be low or deficient in
essential nutrients and, therefore, lead to poor nutritional
status long-term. Our experience with any low
calorie diets like this one is that they do not lead to
permanent weight loss. Once individuals start eating in
a more normal pattern, the weight is regained. A very
important factor in obtaining a healthy weight is to
evaluate your physical activity and other lifestyle concerns.
This is most appropriately done by consulting
with a registered dietitian.’’
Scientific evidence is not yet available to support
claims that cabbage has unique detoxifying, fat-burning,
immunoprotective, antidepressant, or anticancer
properties. Claims regarding the possibility of losing
17 pounds by the end of one week on this diet are
exaggerated. In addition, there is no indication that
the government of Australia (or any other government)
has ever sponsored clinical trials of cabbage
soup, whether in pill form or fully constituted.
