Judy Mazel
Encyclopedia
Judy Mazel was the American
weight loss advocate and author of the "The Beverly Hills Diet
", which became a 1981 best seller and a nationwide diet
craze. Judy Mazel was a devout practicing Jew and was raised in a conservative Ashkenazi Jewish home.
Mazel was born in Chicago
on December 20, 1943 as the youngest of three sisters. She moved to California but failed to become a professional actor. She began to struggle with her weight and began writing several diet books.
Mazel had no formal training in either medicine
or nutrition
when she invented The Beverly Hills Diet. Her weight loss diet advocated that dieters eat only one type of food
at a time. The Beverly Hills Diet advised that dieters never eat carbohydrates and proteins in the same meal. The first 10 days of the diet consisted only of fruit. On Day 11, bagels and corn on the cob were added to the fruit. No complete protein was added until Day 19 when you could either have steak or lobster. .
Mazel opened a clinic in Beverly Hills, following the success of her book. She worked with as many as 250 dieters a week. Mazel, herself, claimed to have lost 72 pounds
by following her own advice.
Critics, including many nutritionist
s, attacked The Beverly Hills Diet. They claimed that many dieters lost weight simply because The Beverly Hills Diet was low in calories. The Beverly Hills Diet often made many nutritionists' lists of their top 10 fad
diets. Celebrities, however, embraced the Mazel's book. Noted followers of The Beverly Hills Diet included journalist
and California
First Lady
, Maria Shriver
, as well as Sally Kellerman
, Engelbert Humperdinck
and Linda Gray
.
Judy Mazel died of peripheral vascular disease at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California
, on October 12, 2007. She was 63 and was a long-time resident of Pacific Palisades, California at the time of her death.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
weight loss advocate and author of the "The Beverly Hills Diet
Beverly Hills Diet
The Beverly Hills Diet is a weight loss regimen developed by author Judy Mazel in her 1981 bestseller, The Beverly Hills Diet...
", which became a 1981 best seller and a nationwide diet
Dieting
Dieting is the practice of eating food in a regulated fashion to achieve or maintain a controlled weight. In most cases dieting is used in combination with physical exercise to lose weight in those who are overweight or obese. Some athletes, however, follow a diet to gain weight...
craze. Judy Mazel was a devout practicing Jew and was raised in a conservative Ashkenazi Jewish home.
Mazel was born in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
on December 20, 1943 as the youngest of three sisters. She moved to California but failed to become a professional actor. She began to struggle with her weight and began writing several diet books.
Mazel had no formal training in either medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
or nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
when she invented The Beverly Hills Diet. Her weight loss diet advocated that dieters eat only one type of food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
at a time. The Beverly Hills Diet advised that dieters never eat carbohydrates and proteins in the same meal. The first 10 days of the diet consisted only of fruit. On Day 11, bagels and corn on the cob were added to the fruit. No complete protein was added until Day 19 when you could either have steak or lobster. .
Mazel opened a clinic in Beverly Hills, following the success of her book. She worked with as many as 250 dieters a week. Mazel, herself, claimed to have lost 72 pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
by following her own advice.
Critics, including many nutritionist
Nutritionist
A nutritionist is a person who advises on matters of food and nutrition impacts on health. Different professional terms are used in different countries, employment settings and contexts — some examples include: nutrition scientist, public health nutritionist, dietitian-nutritionist, clinical...
s, attacked The Beverly Hills Diet. They claimed that many dieters lost weight simply because The Beverly Hills Diet was low in calories. The Beverly Hills Diet often made many nutritionists' lists of their top 10 fad
FAD
In biochemistry, flavin adenine dinucleotide is a redox cofactor involved in several important reactions in metabolism. FAD can exist in two different redox states, which it converts between by accepting or donating electrons. The molecule consists of a riboflavin moiety bound to the phosphate...
diets. Celebrities, however, embraced the Mazel's book. Noted followers of The Beverly Hills Diet included journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
, Maria Shriver
Maria Shriver
Maria Owings Shriver is an American journalist and author of six best-selling books. She has received a Peabody Award, and was co-anchor for NBC's Emmy-winning coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics. As executive producer of The Alzheimer's Project, Shriver earned two Emmy Awards and an Academy of...
, as well as Sally Kellerman
Sally Kellerman
Sally Clare Kellerman is an American actress and singer known for her role as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the film MASH , for which she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.-Early life:...
, Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
Engelbert Humperdinck is a British pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me " and "After the Lovin'" as well as "The Last Waltz" .-Early life:...
and Linda Gray
Linda Gray
Linda Ann Gray is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing on the television prime-time soap opera Dallas.-Career:Prior to acting, Gray began working as a model in the 1960s...
.
Judy Mazel died of peripheral vascular disease at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, on October 12, 2007. She was 63 and was a long-time resident of Pacific Palisades, California at the time of her death.