The Scarsdale diet is a rapid weight loss program that is classified as a very low-calorie diet. It is also one of the oldest low-carbohydrate diets that is still followed today by some dieters. The diet started as a two-page typewritten handout which was drawn up in the 1950’s by Dr. Herman Tarnower. Tarnower was a cardiologist who had built his own medical centre in Scarsdale. He originally wrote up the diet for a guide for patients who needed to lose weight to protect their hearts. He wasn’t a professional nutritionist or a dietician; he just had enough of wasting time to explain nutrition or other health issues to his patients, so he chose to make up a weight-reduction diet known as the Scarsdale diet. (Diet.com, 2016)
The Scarsdale diet…show more content… This diet is completely inappropriate for children. It carries the same risks as other very low calorie diets (VLCD’s), which are constipation or diarrhoea, irritability, always feeling tired, and an increased risk of gallstone formation. It has also been reported to trigger episodes of porphyria, which is an inherited metabolic disorder in patients with a genetic weakness to the disease. Porphyria can be brought on by fasting or by using a VLCD for a long time. Since the diet also has a low- carbohydrate profile, you increase the risk of kidney and liver damage resulting for ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic process that happens when the carbohydrates that serve the body drop below a certain level. The body must then burn protein and fats so it can remain at a stable energy level. When fats are broken down, fatty acids are released into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream they turn into ketone bodies, which are mild acids that are excreted in urine. Releasing ketone bodies can place an additional burden on the kidneys. If ketosis continues for long periods of time without medical supervision, the kidneys could eventually fail. If you are pregnant, an alcoholic, or a person who is already diagnosed with kidney and live disease, you should not use the Scarsdale diet. (Diet.com,
