The Fatfield Diet 101

This eating plan may be lesser known than its more famous counterparts, but the Fatfield diet is no newbie to the dieting scene. Created in the early 1990s by journalist Sally Ann Voak, the diet was originally intended only for the villagers of Fatfield, England, who were challenged by Voak to lose weight while being monitored by the camera. The program was a huge success, not only did the villagers lose weight, the Fatfield Diet gained a lot of believers, spawning a bestselling book and a BBC TV series.

The Fatfield Diet promotes weight loss by focusing on restricting calorie intake and encouraging consumption of low-calorie, high-fiber, low glycemic fresh vegetables and fruits. The variety within the diet and the large bulk of fiber-rich food curbs hunger pangs, making the slimmer feel easily sated while eliminating the feelings of food deprivation.

What makes up the Fatfield Diet?

Basically, the Fatfield diet is comprised of leafy greens and whole grains. It allows fat and processed food in the diet, but in very limited amounts. This allows the dieter more freedom in selecting his choice of food, and gives him the ability to customize his meal plans according to his own personal preferences.

Usually, foods included in the Fatfield diet require to be prepared and cooked at home, and some individuals find this aspect time-consuming. Proponents of the Fatfield Diet, on the other hand, believes this practice fosters bonding time with the family and increases discipline and motivation in the dieter.

The dieter is also encouraged to  indulge in regular physical activity, as well as consuming more water to aid the body in eliminating unwanted wastes. The success of this plan is chronicled in Ms. Voak’s book, The Complete Fatfield Diet: Eat More, Weigh Less.

One drawback of the Fatfield dieting system is that the diet is particularly hard to maintain over a long term basis, and it has also been argued that the diet does not teach the fundamentals necessary to keep the weight lost off for good. Nevertheless, the Fatfield Diet’s popularity continues to increase, even outside London and America.