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The fact is that the drinking man's diet will work in some cases, but not for many of the reasons given by its advocates. A bon vivant executive who is ordered to take off 20 or 30 Ibs. is made instantly miserable and tense by being denied most of his drinks and rich meats. Told that he can go on drinking, he stays relaxed, which reduces the temptation to nibble between meals. Also, despite a popular misconception, two or more cocktails actually depress the appetite. The drinking man feels satisfied after a filet mignon, and the little bit of fat that he gets with it will do him no harm.
Water Balance. The main thing is that a man who sticks to the drinker's diet will cut down drastically on his calorie intake by avoiding not only bread, potatoes and even innocent strawberries but, far more important, the butter and cream or sour cream that usually go with them. If he loses weight, it is because of a reduced calorie intake.
Says Dr. Philip L. White, the A.M.A.'s top nutrition expert: "The drinking man's diet is utter nonsense, has no scientific basis, and is chock-full of errors. Some individuals on these low-carbohydrate diets may at first undergo a change in water balance, which might account for a loss of a few pounds. Even the authors of the book make the interesting admission that if a man eats and drinks heavily, he is going to gain weight and get drunk."