The Shangri-La Diet, created by Seth Roberts, PhD, proposes a unique approach to weight loss that challenges conventional dieting methods. Roberts, a psychology professor at Beijing's Tsinghua University and professor emeritus at the University of California at Berkeley, developed this diet based on his theories about the body's "set point" and the influence of flavor on appetite. The diet is detailed in his book, also titled "The Shangri-La Diet."
The Core Concept: Manipulating Your Set Point
Roberts' diet is based on the fundamental principle of a set point - the weight which, according to Roberts, a person's brain strives to maintain. When actual weight is below the set point, appetite increases; when actual weight is above the set point, appetite decreases. Roberts believes that the "tastiness" of the food you consume controls your set point. Roberts' idea - based on an experimental group of one: himself - is that everyone's body has a "set point," a weight it wants to be.
His theory stemmed from observations, including a visit to Paris in 2000, where he experienced a loss of appetite, which he speculated was due to the unfamiliar flavors of soft drinks. He reasoned that there's a deep association between familiar, flavorful foods and the regulation of body weight.
How the Diet Works
The Shangri-La Diet involves consuming 100-500 calories per day of flavorless food between normal meals. The diet calls for consuming 200 to 500 calories (1-4 tablespoons) of oil that doesn't have a strong flavor (like extra-light olive oil, flaxseed oil, canola oil, or walnut oil) every day. The most popular way of consuming these calories is extra-light olive oil. (Not extra virgin -- "extra-light" or "extra light tasting.") He also talks about using other oils, or even sugar water. (I know sugar water doesn't sound flavorless… but supposedly sugar with no other flavors is supposed to work.
The Rules
Roberts's plan includes these four rules:
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- Take 200 to 500 calories of oil daily.
- Take the oil at least an hour away from eating food or tasting any flavors. The flavorless food must be consumed in a flavorless window, which is at least one hour after flavors have been consumed, and at least one hour before flavors will be consumed.
- If the oil upsets your stomach, start small and work up.
- If you haven’t lost weight after a month, increase your daily dose of oil by 1 tablespoon.
What You Can Eat
Imagine a diet that allows you to eat anything you want. According to the diet, you can eat what you want. You don’t have to give up foods you love, count calories, follow special recipes, or plan meals.
What You Don't Need to Do
The Shangri-La Diet boasts a lack of restrictions. You don't need to exercise. Do you change the rest of the food you eat? No. Do you work to reduce your portions? No.
The Science Behind It (According to Roberts)
Roberts states that the diet is based upon connecting two unconnected fields: weight control and associative learning. He posits that flavorful foods with a strong flavor-calorie relationship raise the set point, while bland foods that are slowly digested lower it. Flavorless oil breaks that flavor-calorie link. So Roberts reasons that if you add some flavorless oil to your diet, you'll feel less hungry between meals and feel full faster at meals. Adding those flavorless calories will, Roberts claimed, make you actively want to eat less. The consumption of flavorless calories supposedly lowers the set point, and therefore lowers weight.
Real-World Experiences
While the diet has gained some attention, scientific studies backing up this plan are scarce, aside from Roberts' own report of losing 35 pounds when he tested the diet on himself.
Anecdotal evidence suggests varying results. One individual reported losing 13 pounds initially, but the weight loss eventually stopped, making the continued consumption of olive oil unappealing. Others have shared similar experiences through Roberts' blog or The New York Times.
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Considerations and Potential Downsides
- Lack of Nutritional Guidance: The Shangri-La Diet doesn't encourage healthy habits for the short- or long-term. The diet doesn't address the nutritional issues you face when managing certain conditions, like sodium for blood pressure or carbohydrates for diabetes.
- Calorie Addition: The daily drink of oil adds calories most people don't need.
- Not for Everyone: If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, or diabetes, this isn’t the diet for you.
Is It Worth Trying?
The strength of the plan is how easy it is to use. It may also help you better understand when you’re hungry or full. The Shangri-La Diet might appeal to you if you don’t want to follow a strict plan or want any food or drink to be off limits.
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