I pity the people who are on this diet and come across one of Slashfood's Food Porn posts that most likely are out of line with the flavor of the day. I for one wouldn't have the willpower to resist.

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And I pity the poor saps who plunk down money for yet another "diet" book! The gullability of the American public never ceases to amaze me, and when it comes to weight-loss, that gullability is off the charts. Folks, it's simple: eat what you like (food allergies excepted), but eat less of it; watch your intake of highly-processed, nutritionally-diminished foods, while at the same time increasing your consumption of whole, nutritionally-dense comestibles; move around a little more; sit immobile a little less; and stop looking for a quick fix. Your excess avoirdupois didn't get there overnight, nor will it vanish in a matter of weeks. Think a bit about what you put in your mouth, and make intelligent choices whenever possible. Avoid extremes, don't tell yourself you can *never* have a "forbidden" food ever again (you will, and thinking otherwise sets you up for failure), and respect yourself in the morning.

A bit of a rant, and I apologize; I'm a frustrated nutritionist at heart!

Huffy

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My name is Catherine Katz. I created and tested the recipes in the Flavor point diet. Let me first begin by noting that the menu that you refer to as only having 5 crackers for lunch was a mistake in the Good morning America website where you must have pulled it out. I was horrified when I saw that mistake!! so thank you for pointing it out, I will make sure they correct it! On that particular day, the lunch actually consists of a hearty apple-walnut chicken salad which does indeed come with 5 kashi TLC crackers.
Having said that, let me make sure you understand... My husband and co-author, Dr David Katz, Director of the Yale prevention Research center, is the first to say that weight loss is about calories in and out, and that anyone refuting this is a charlatan. So, of course, to induce weight loss, Flavor Point restricts calories- albeit, at a very sensible level (much less restrictive than the fad diets that are too devious to admit it!). The point the book makes is this: you can be full and satisfied on fewer calories. No one really cares about the number of calories they consume- they care about eating enough to be satisfied, about not being hungry. The thoughtful distribution of flavors allows for satiety and satisfaction with fewer calories- This is clearly stated in the book and that is precisely the reason why the total number of calories for each day is disclosed to the reader at the end of each day, unlike the other fad diets out there that claim otherwise.
Finally, let me correct you in saying that this book is not novel. "Sensory specific satiety," on which the "diet" is based comes from an extensive scientific literature spanning 30 years, but up until now this concept had never been used to help us achieve portion control which, as you know, has proven so difficult if not impossible for many. The Flavor Point Diet fixes that! Go to either www.pubmed.gov,or Google, and type "sensory specific satiety," and you will see for yourself. And Please pick up the book for yourself, the recipes are as filling as they are delicious...BON APPETIT!

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Unlike some of the previous posters who seem to have literally judged this book by its cover, i have actually read and tried this book and have found it to be not only healthy but delicious! The science behind the idea is brilliant and i look forward to making this "diet" into a permanent, delectable and healthy lifestyle!

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I am delighted to endorse The Flavor Point Diet. As someone who has fought the battle of the bulge most of my adult life, I have finally found an answer I can live with. The Flavor Point Diet offers a healthful and satisfying approach to eating - one that provides gourmet meals that meet and exceed the highest nutritional standards. It is a plan that benefits the whole family (my husband, children, and grandchildren are eating these wonderful recipes and loving them.) How many diets or plans for weight loss can claim they are healthy and appropriate for the entire family? None that I know of, other than The Flavor Point Diet. Congratulations to the Dr's Katz for providing a sane, easy to follow, lifetime plan for healthy eating!

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I have tried the flavor point diet and have positive things to report. If you want to lose weight without giving up a major food group like low-fat and low-carb diets do, this is a great book. The gimick that people respond to is not a new way to lose weight, it is the way to control the hunger that always accompanies the reduced calories that are essential for losing weight. The flavor "theme" is not, as many people (including me) first think, boring. It is just a theme, and a concept to keep you from eating a bunch of saltly foods along with a bunch of sweet ones causing you to eat more of both. As for following the plan, it is a lot easier than I initially thought. No measuring, no "plate sizes", no weighing. Dinners are mostly simple and quick to prepare. If you pack a lunch - do it the night before not that morning, because they do take a little planning. If you don't like a days theme, skip it and try some of the recommended substitutes. The nice thing about this book is that you will be eating healthy, tasty, food even if you follow the plan forwards, backwards or sideways. The healthy recipes alone make it worth getting this book even if you are not trying to lose weight. Even my nine-year-old-who-only-eats-peanut-butter likes the recipes. I can't match that endorsement.

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Comments #1 & #2 are from real people. Comment #3 is from the co-author, and comments #4, #5 & #6 spew forth such corporate, overproduced writing that seems specifically engineered for search engines that I cannot stomach it any more than the diet book they purport to endorse. Creepy. Do those last three folks have access to a dictionary? Perhaps they could look up MEASURE. :-P Anyway, comment #7 is from a cranky chef, who just calls them as she sees them.

Eat well, excercise and be healthy. Life's too short to not enjoy yourself!

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Comment #7. You sure do sound cranky. Ever consider that you may be overloaded on all those processed foods and be reacting to a sugar/salt overload. Have you read the book? Have you tried a recipe? Have you considered the fact that a review by someone who has not read a book is no review at all - rather a pre-judgement (prejudicial) statement based on no information? Think about it.

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To the author's wife: You claim that this book is based on science, and presumably that means scientific studies. So my question to you is this: Where is the evidence? The burden of proof is on you - which scientific journals discuss the studies? Don't tell me to google it; you tell me where specifically to look and then I'll decide. By coincidence, my dad's name is also David Katz.

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I have been on this diet for about 1 month and have lost 10 lbs. I have to seriously say that I have never been able to lose weight this quickly. This diet really does work, and it is very healthy. It has drastically reduced my food cravings. Dr. Katz has done his homework about how food manufacturers use flavors in processed food to manipulate people into eating more than they need to. (Think about the Lay's potato chip slogan "Nobody can eat just one" and if you look at it, there is a creepy truth to it!). This diet is a lifesaver for me and I highly recommend it.

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