The Cambridge Diet
Encyclopedia
The Cambridge Diet is a weight management
programme ranging from 415 to 1500 kcal/day. It is manufactured in the UK
and complies with all current UK and EU
legislation
, guidance and directives (1) (2) (3). The Diet is also sold in more than 20 countries around the world.
It is not affiliated to the US
version of the Diet - Cambridge Original and Cambridge Food for Life (4)
The Cambridge Diet was developed in 1970 by Dr. Alan Howard at Cambridge University, England
.
It was launched as a commercial product in the United States in 1980. The Diet was very popular in the America but was also the subject of some controversy
. It later came under scrutiny from regulators and health authorities after potential health concerns were raised (5) (6).
Cambridge Diet in the UK. In the UK the Cambridge Diet was launched in 1984. In 1986 the Diet was slightly reformulated to adhere to recommendations made by the Commission on Medical Aspects (COMA) (7).
The Cambridge Diet was rebranded as Cambridge Weight Plan in January 2010.
The core principle of the Diet in the UK is very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) restriction, as low as 415 calories/day, combined with mineral
s, vitamin
s and fatty acid
s to reduce the loss of nutrient
s typical of low calorie restriction.
The diet formula is intended to harness "the excellent weight loss
properties of starvation
", while providing enough protein to protect lean tissue, the right level of carbohydrate
to promote a mild ketosis
(the body's fasting mode, which burns body fat) and eliminate a sense of hunger
, and the right levels of vitamins, minerals, trace element
s and essential fatty acids to maintain good health. The meals are intended to combine all necessary food groups to satisfy a body’s nutritional needs, in order to allow a person to stop craving foods and overeating
.
In 2006 the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) published its guidance on obesity
and acknowledged the use of VLCD’s such as the Cambridge Diet as one option for the management of obesity(8).
For UK specific information regarding how the Cambridge Diet helps with weight-loss see (9).
(1) EU Directive: Foods Intended for Use in Energy Restricted Diets for Weight Control. 1996 (Implemented in UK as Statutory Instrument 2182, 1997)
(2) SCOOP 7.3 “Collection of data on products intended for use in very low calorie diets” established under Directive 93/5/EC on the assistance to the Commission and Co-operation by the Member States in the Scientific Examination of Questions related to food. http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/scoop/7.3_en.pdf
(3) NICE Guidelines on Obesity (CG43) December 2006 – “Full Guideline section 1 – Introduction, methods and recommendations”, page 119 http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG43/NiceGuidance/pdf/English
(4) http://www.cambridgedietusa.com/
(5) ^ "Dietician Describes Cambridge Diet as 'Wishful Thinking'". Los Angeles Times. Jun 24, 1982 http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/683272342.html?dids=683272342:683272342&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Jun+24%2C+1982&author=ROSE+DOSTI&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Dietitian+Describes+Cambridge+Diet+as+%27Wishful+Thinking%27&pqatl=google. Retrieved on 2009-02-18.
(6) ^ a b "Medical Researchers Urge Caution in Use of Cambridge Diet". The New York Times. November 25, 1983 http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40D1FF83B5D0C768EDDA80994DB484D81. Retrieved on 2009-02-18.
(7) – Report on Health and Social Scientific Co-Operation No 31. The Use of Very Low Calorie Diets in Obesity. Committee in Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) DHSS 1987 (HMSO)
(8) NICE Guidelines on Obesity (CG43) December 2006 – Booklet “Information for people who use NHS services – Treatment for people who are overweight and obese”, page 3
(9) http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/diet_and_fitness/article6295946.ece
Weight Management
Weight management is a long-term approach to a healthy lifestyle. It includes a balance of healthy eating and physical exercise to equate energy expenditure and energy intake. Developing healthy eating habits while using tips that will keep us fuller longer can be useful tools in weight management...
programme ranging from 415 to 1500 kcal/day. It is manufactured in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and complies with all current UK and EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
, guidance and directives (1) (2) (3). The Diet is also sold in more than 20 countries around the world.
It is not affiliated to the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
version of the Diet - Cambridge Original and Cambridge Food for Life (4)
The Cambridge Diet was developed in 1970 by Dr. Alan Howard at Cambridge University, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
It was launched as a commercial product in the United States in 1980. The Diet was very popular in the America but was also the subject of some controversy
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
. It later came under scrutiny from regulators and health authorities after potential health concerns were raised (5) (6).
Cambridge Diet in the UK. In the UK the Cambridge Diet was launched in 1984. In 1986 the Diet was slightly reformulated to adhere to recommendations made by the Commission on Medical Aspects (COMA) (7).
The Cambridge Diet was rebranded as Cambridge Weight Plan in January 2010.
The core principle of the Diet in the UK is very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) restriction, as low as 415 calories/day, combined with mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
s, vitamin
Vitamin
A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. In other words, an organic chemical compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. Thus, the term is conditional both on...
s and fatty acid
Fatty acid
In chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with a long unbranched aliphatic tail , which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have a chain of an even number of carbon atoms, from 4 to 28. Fatty acids are usually derived from...
s to reduce the loss of nutrient
Nutrient
A nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment. They are used to build and repair tissues, regulate body processes and are converted to and used as energy...
s typical of low calorie restriction.
The diet formula is intended to harness "the excellent weight loss
Weight loss
Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health or physical fitness, is a reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon and other connective tissue...
properties of starvation
Starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy, nutrient and vitamin intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, death...
", while providing enough protein to protect lean tissue, the right level of carbohydrate
Carbohydrate
A carbohydrate is an organic compound with the empirical formula ; that is, consists only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with a hydrogen:oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 . However, there are exceptions to this. One common example would be deoxyribose, a component of DNA, which has the empirical...
to promote a mild ketosis
Ketosis
Ketosis is a state of elevated levels of ketone bodies in the body. It is almost always generalized throughout the body, with hyperketonemia, that is, an elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood. Ketone bodies are formed by ketogenesis when the liver glycogen stores are depleted...
(the body's fasting mode, which burns body fat) and eliminate a sense of hunger
Hunger
Hunger is the most commonly used term to describe the social condition of people who frequently experience the physical sensation of desiring food.-Malnutrition, famine, starvation:...
, and the right levels of vitamins, minerals, trace element
Trace element
In analytical chemistry, a trace element is an element in a sample that has an average concentration of less than 100 parts per million measured in atomic count, or less than 100 micrograms per gram....
s and essential fatty acids to maintain good health. The meals are intended to combine all necessary food groups to satisfy a body’s nutritional needs, in order to allow a person to stop craving foods and overeating
Overeating
Overeating generally refers to the long-term consumption of excess food in relation to the energy that an organism expends , leading to weight gainingand often obesity. It may be regarded as an eating disorder....
.
In 2006 the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) published its guidance on obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
and acknowledged the use of VLCD’s such as the Cambridge Diet as one option for the management of obesity(8).
For UK specific information regarding how the Cambridge Diet helps with weight-loss see (9).
(1) EU Directive: Foods Intended for Use in Energy Restricted Diets for Weight Control. 1996 (Implemented in UK as Statutory Instrument 2182, 1997)
(2) SCOOP 7.3 “Collection of data on products intended for use in very low calorie diets” established under Directive 93/5/EC on the assistance to the Commission and Co-operation by the Member States in the Scientific Examination of Questions related to food. http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/scoop/7.3_en.pdf
(3) NICE Guidelines on Obesity (CG43) December 2006 – “Full Guideline section 1 – Introduction, methods and recommendations”, page 119 http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG43/NiceGuidance/pdf/English
(4) http://www.cambridgedietusa.com/
(5) ^ "Dietician Describes Cambridge Diet as 'Wishful Thinking'". Los Angeles Times. Jun 24, 1982 http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/683272342.html?dids=683272342:683272342&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Jun+24%2C+1982&author=ROSE+DOSTI&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Dietitian+Describes+Cambridge+Diet+as+%27Wishful+Thinking%27&pqatl=google. Retrieved on 2009-02-18.
(6) ^ a b "Medical Researchers Urge Caution in Use of Cambridge Diet". The New York Times. November 25, 1983 http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40D1FF83B5D0C768EDDA80994DB484D81. Retrieved on 2009-02-18.
(7) – Report on Health and Social Scientific Co-Operation No 31. The Use of Very Low Calorie Diets in Obesity. Committee in Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) DHSS 1987 (HMSO)
(8) NICE Guidelines on Obesity (CG43) December 2006 – Booklet “Information for people who use NHS services – Treatment for people who are overweight and obese”, page 3
(9) http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/diet_and_fitness/article6295946.ece