Articles

Other Health articles »

France's new diet craze - Bunk or Brilliance
Family Practice Magazine, February 7, 1994

At 49 years old, Michel Montignac, a formerly overweight administrator, has not only slimmed down to 76 kg from his high of 92 kg, but in less than seven years he's become France's $9-million diet guru by convincing thousands of Europeans that it is possible to lose, and maintain, a lower weight while sensibly eating the most luscious foods God put on this earth: dark chocolate, meat, expensive cheeses, cream desserts and, of course wine - good wine, that is.

France's medical community has classified his books as "pseudo-scientific bunk" while others have politely told Montignac to stick to writing cookbooks.

Montignac in turn warns overweight readers that turning to the medical profession for advice is often a mistake because, "doctors know very little about nutrition, and the only ones who do, are those with a weight problem themselves. "

Briefly, Montignac's diet is not one of elimination, but of food combination. The only "unnecessary" foods, he says, that should be eliminated from our diet are refined sugars, refined starches and the potato - a food he describes as "an accident of history and a satanic poison." Everything else, once a desired weight has been achieved, can be reintroduced to the diet.

La Methode Montignac has captured the attention of the Financial Times, mainstream North American media, women's magazines and U.S. news magazine shows. However, not everyone is praising his theory. Vogue magazine subtly pans the rule-heavy diet regimen and questions Montignac's credentials.

Essentially Montignac's diet boils down to the relationship between certain foods, metabolism, the manufacture of insulin and fat storage.

Share of critics

Although Montignac's diet has public support from such figures as Professor Leonardo Santi, president of the International Society of Preventive Oncology in New York, the "method" has its share of critics in the medical community.

Anne Guilar, a clinical dietician at Toronto Hospital, says that following Montignac's high-protein diet too closely will lead to kidney problems, increased cardiovascular disease and weight gain when one gets off it, "because following this diet can be expensive and impractical."

Dorotea Landau, a registered dietician and diabetes educator at Centenary Hospital in Toronto, says Montignac has twisted his numbers, in particular the glycemic index, to suit his own needs.

"It's too high in protein, more than 50% - not falling within the Canada Food Guide. Nor does it meet World Health Organization recommendations," Landau warns.

Montignac tells the dieter to remember two food charts: carbohydrates with a high glycemic index (bad carbs) and low glycemic index (good carbs).

What's a bad food combination? White bread and butter on an empty stomach because the pancreas, in a weakened condition, will create hyper-insulinism and precipitate the storage of fatty acids contained in butter, thus increasing fat reserves.

Once we understand that insulin secretions are responsible for fat reserves, we've won half the weight battle, he says.

But first Montignac says the body's tolerance to sugar must be raised, especially among Americans who have been intoxicated by bad carbohydrates (soft drinks, lollipops, pizza, peanut butter, potatoes) since infancy. The body must be detoxified before his diet can be effective.

His diet works on the assumption that a defective pancreas is the norm. It's important, he says, that the pancreas secrete enough insulin to flush out the surplus sugar in the blood stream.

Plenty of meats

So, in the weight-loss phase of his "method" all carbohydrates are excluded from meals. He advocates plenty of meats, fish, eggs, leafy and green vegetables, (no corn) yogurt, cottage cheese. Cheese for dessert.

Phase two shows the reader how to maintain weight by eating healthy and tasty foods. But if fries are a must, then eat them with a salad, says Montignac, because it minimizes dietary imbalance.

Some French critics say Montignac may have lost his "big body, but he kept his big ego." That may be true, but seven years after his first book was published, Montignac is still the talk of Paris.

The saccharine icing on his cake, so to speak, came last October, when he officially opened Restaurant Montignac to rave reviews praising its culinary delights and upscale decor.

Montignac's empire also includes four food shops that sell his own brand of whole wheat flour, bread and pastas, a recipe-diet magazine, and offers seminars for business people. Next year he'll open his own health spa.

Projected 1993 revenue from these industries is estimated at C$9 million.

Now that he's educated finicky Europeans on his style of food management, his next major undertaking is to take a bite out of the healthy billion dollar North American diet industry. Two of his many books, "I Eat Therefore I am Thin" and "Dine Out and Lose Weight" will be in Canadian bookstores in early 1994.

Other Health articles »