Social Econ Blog

The premise of this diet is simple enough to an economic mind -- focus on a flavor theme for each day and you'll eat less:

That may sound like an improbable premise for a diet. But it's based on the science of "sensory-specific satiety." Think of it as the theory of diminishing returns applied to appetite. It explains, for example, why each successive bite of pasta is less satisfying than the previous one. That's why you don't stop at pasta, but reach for the bruschetta as well, not to mention the salami and provolone. And when the cannoli and tiramisu are offered, it's surprising how you can find room for those, too. Never mind that you're already full. Nature has programmed us to seek a variety of tastes, shapes, colors and textures in our food, so that we will consume a wide range of nutrients. Yet in the land of vending machines and all-you-can-eat buffets, this natural propensity is working against us.

The remedy, according to Katz, is to consume a healthy diet with nutritional variety, but unified by a daily flavor theme. On lemon day, for example, you would have lemon-poppy seed muffins for breakfast, lemon tabbouleh salad for lunch, pan-seared tilapia with lemon chives and capers for dinner, and fresh blueberries with lemon peel for dessert. The subtle repetition of the flavor du jour helps you reach satiety faster, he says, without making you feel deprived. The diet includes a month of these daily menus (plus two "special indulgence days"—chocolate and coconut).

Ultimately, it still requires self control to stick to the theme, so I am not sure how much of an innovation it is.