Cookie diet

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The Cookie Diet was developed by Dr. Sanford Siegal, a Miami, Florida physician, who confines his medical practice to treating the problems of overweight patients.

1 History
2 The Cookie Diet
3 Dr. Siegal and Hypothyroidism
4 Books
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

His early years practicing general family medicine convinced him that many of the major health problems afflicting his patients were directly attributable to their weight. As he concentrated his efforts on this particular aspect of his practice and because the problem was so universal, he eventually decided to concentrate all of his efforts on the treatment of obesity.

In the 1970’s while working on a book that explored food substances that are hunger-suppressing, he developed a product, a cookie, with hunger-suppressing qualities that he introduced into his medical practice. It was an instant success and resulted in a burgeoning patient load that required him to open additional clinics staffed by physicians that he himself trained in his methods.

The cookie was joined by other products like shakes and soups with the same properties, but he remains tied to the cookie in the eyes of the public.

At first in Florida, but eventually in other areas, he had become known as “The Cookie Doctor” and his method became known as “The Cookie Diet.” He has appeared on national TV shows (such as Good Morning America) and many magazine and newspaper articles have been written about him and his diet.

He maintains that the exact formula after all these years is still a secret, known only to him and his wife. It is made in his own bakery in South Florida. There have been a number of attempts by others to usurp the fame of “Dr. Siegal’s Cookie,” but none have achieved any degree of success.

He has kept the promotion of his products and methods very low key, and although others have tried to exploit their association with him, at the present time his products and methods are only supplied to clinics in Dade, Broward, and Collier counties in Florida. Because of his personal supervision of the production of these products, distribution is limited to those areas.

Many more clinics have opened across the United States and in Canada that are known as Smart for Life clinics. They were once associated with Dr. Siegal, but have become independent and while their program is similar to the Siegal program, they have developed their own cookies. The ingredients are listed on the back of each package of cookies.

[edit] The Cookie Diet

The essence of Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet is a completely physician monitored low-calorie diet that uses Dr. Siegal’s Cookie (and alternate products) as a means of controlling hunger. He relies on a low calorie diet to provide the fastest weight loss possible. He believes that quick measurable results are an important factor in sustaining the patient’s motivation to stay on the diet. Safety has not been an issue because of the frequent and close physician monitoring of the patient.

In general, the method involves the patient eating only one meal a day, a relatively low calorie high protein dinner. Hunger is controlled the rest of the day with Dr. Siegal’s Cookie. Six cookies per day are mandatory, and the instructions call for eating a cookie “anytime you are hungry.” The cookie is not intended to be a meal replacement because according to the instructions, there is only one meal, dinner.

[edit] Dr. Siegal and Hypothyroidism

Dr. Siegal has observed that one out of four of his overweight patients suffers from a low metabolic rate (hypothyroidism). He is a critic of conventional methods of diagnosing this condition, principally through laboratory testing. In his latest book, he explores the entire subject. (Sanford Siegal, D.O., M.D., Warner Books), "Is Your Thyroid Making You Fat?"

[edit] Books

Sanford Siegal, D.O.,M.D. (1976) Dr. Siegal's Natural Fiber Permanent Weight-Loss Diet, Dell Publishing, ISBN: 0440177901
Sanford Siegal, D.O.,M.D. (1976) Dr. Siegal's Natural Fiber Cookbook, The Dial Press, ASIN: B000GPAAIG
Sanford Siegal, D.O.,M.D. (1985) Hunger Control Without Drugs, 308 pages, Macmillan Publishing Company Inc., ISBN: 0026106604
Sanford Siegal, D.O.,M.D. (2000) Is Your Thyroid Making You Fat?, 304 pages, Warner Books Inc., ISBN: 0446526592

[edit] References

"Exploring the Cookie Diet": By Mary Shomon, About.com
Interview: Dr. Sanford Siegal, D.O., M.D. (June 1, 1985) - "Montage", Channel 4 (CBS), Miami, FL - Dr. Siegal appeared in a

segment about his program and the "Cookie Diet". Several patients of Dr. Siegal also appeared on the program to explain their experiences on the diet.

The Cookie Diet: Can You Lose Weight on a Cookie Diet? (January 28, 2003) - "Good Morning America", ABC
The Cookie Diet (February, 2003) - "NBC News", Channel 6 (NBC), Miami, FL
Dr. Siegal and his Cookie Diet (February 6, 2003) - "Healthcast", Channel 7, Miami, FL
"La Dieta de las Galletitas" (broadcast in Spanish) (February 8, 2003) - Channel 51, Miami, FL
Dr. Siegal and his Cookie Diet (October 1, 2003) - CNN
Dr. Siegal and his Cookie Diet (October 31, 2003) - "The Rick Sanchez Show", Channel 6 (NBC), Miami, FL - The entire show was devoted to Dr. Siegal and his Cookie Diet. A number of Dr. Siegal's patients also appeared on the show.