THE PRITIKIN PERMANENT WEIGHT-LOSS MANUAL

by Nathan Pritikin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 27, 1981

A low-calorie version of Pritikin's reputable program (presented in The Pritikin Program, 1979) for improving diet and health: half-manual, half-cookbook, and no hype. Since 1976, Pritikin's work with this high-carbohydrate diet/daily exercise program had been shown to restore people with serious degenerative diseases (such as diabetes and heart disease) to nearer normal health. He firmly believes that permanent weight loss occurs after changes are made in what foods are eaten (not just how much is eaten, or how); that a healthy diet is made up of large amounts of whole natural carbohydrates combined with safe amounts of fat-free or low-fat dairy and animal foods; and that diet modifications must be combined with daily exercise. On this basis, Pritikin offers four different plans (for 700, 850, 1000, 1300 calories), to be selected by the reader on the basis of how fast one wishes to lose weight and knowing one's own limit. Menus and recipes are provided, for 14 days, in the second half of the book. Pritikin's advice on exercise is standard, but vital to his program; he is most in favor of walking, recommends that it be done dally, and provides a graduated schedule for increasing one's distance. One highlight here is an analysis of quick-reducing diets--most notably, high protein ones (Stillman, Scarsdale, Atkins) that can do real bodily harm. A second is a chapter for health professionals. Prepared by Pritikin's physician colleagues, this sets out convincing evidence, complete with references, on the efficacy of high carbohydrate diets for the treatment of obesity. Pritikin is sympathetic to the major stumbling block of the regimen: the difficulty of pulling it off unassisted. But with the weight of several years' successful trial behind it, and an emphasis on changing eating habits to improve health beyond weight loss, this easily comes out as the best program around.

Pub Date: April 27, 1981

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1981

Categories: NONFICTION