By Sean Zucker –
Americans are eating up weight-loss programs. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, for example, reports that 49 percent of U.S. adults reported they had made conscious efforts to lose weight during the previous year, 60 percent of which attempted to do so by curbing eating habits. For a country whose population is roughly 40 percent obese, these trends come as no surprise. Neither does the never-ending list of diet fads aimed to help. The latest entry to this longstanding tradition is a food plan dubbed The Boiled Egg Diet or simply The Egg Diet.
Whatever it is called, the health-centric results of this increasingly popular approach are scrambled at best.
Admittedly, there are good reasons why a diet based on consuming eggs would sound like a healthy choice. The food, for one, is certainly nutritious. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that one large egg packs over six grams of protein, 80 milligrams of vitamin A and 15 milligrams of selenium, among other serviceable amounts of calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, manganese, vitamin E, vitamin B and folate. This is all while only carrying 58 calories. The USDA ultimately confirms that eggs are one of the most nutrient-rich foods available, so it’s little wonder why dieters would embrace a diet like this.
The Boiled Egg Diet isn’t exactly new, It was first developed by Arielle Chandler in 2018 with her book, The Boiled Egg Diet: The Easy, Fast Way to Weight Loss. However, the validity of the book’s subtitle remains in question. Medical News Today reports that the program is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate and low-calorie diet that, of course, heavily features the consumption of eggs. Specifically, it calls for plain boiled, poached or scrambled eggs without any aid of butter or cooking oil. Not to mention zero tolerance for carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice, pasta or bread. Beyond eggs, the only foods allowed under The Egg Diet are low-carbohydrate vegetables, like kale or broccoli, fruit and other forms of lean protein.
Medical News Today gives a full breakdown of a standard eating schedule under this program. It starts with a breakfast containing two eggs and a low-carb vegetable followed by a lunch of lean protein, such as chicken or salmon, with a green salad. For dinner, more eggs and low-carb veggies. While the site confirms that this pattern of eating can absolutely generate weight loss, other experts warn against the diet’s longevity.
Healthline adds that the Egg Diet is not only highly restrictive and difficult to follow, but it is also generally ineffective. The diet may, admittedly, produce some short-term weight loss but it’s unsustainable in the long-term. As a result, any weight an individual may lose following The Egg Diet will likely be regained once they return to a typical eating pattern. Additionally, this diet offers little variety and allows only a select few foods to be eaten. This restriction will eliminate entire food groups potentially creating nutrient deficiencies.
Perhaps a larger concern for many is that Arielle Chandler, the diet’s architect, lacks proper credentials as a dietitian. Most of her claims in the book are not supported by evidence and do not hold up to science. Still, Americans clearly need help dropping pounds. Unfortunately, the best weight loss program is far less sexy than an emerging diet fad.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms that finding and maintaining a healthy weight isn’t about following a diet program. People who want to be healthy must do so in baby steps. Per the CDC, this would involve a lifestyle with healthy eating patterns, regular physical activity and stress management.
The good news? Individuals who see gradual and steady weight loss, such as one to two pounds per week, are far more likely to keep the weight off than those who drop several pounds fast, the CDC states.
