Home
| Health
| Diet & Nutrition
| South Beach Diet
| Who Created the South Beach Diet?
Who Created the South Beach Diet?
by Contributing Writer
-
Overview
The South Beach Diet was created by Dr. Arthur Agatston, a practicing cardiologist in Miami, Florida. Dr. Agatston developed the program because his overweight patients with cardiac disease struggled to lose weight on a low-fat diet.
-
Biography
Dr. Agatston grew up in Long Island, New York and is a third generation physician. Dr. Agatston says he always knew he wanted to be a doctor.
-
Education and Practice
Dr. Agatston went to the New York University School of Medicine and completed his cardiology fellowship there; he now practices at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Miami, Florida and teaches at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
-
Imaging Technology
Dr. Agatston also developed new imaging technology for viewing the heart and has founded the Agatston Research Foundation aimed at cardiac disease prevention.
-
Diet Aims
The goal of the South Beach Diet is to stabilize blood sugar (thereby eliminating cravings) and increase weight loss as the body burns fat instead of sugar for energy.
-
Principles
Dr. Agatston developed the diet with five principles in mind. First, the diet is a physician-developed plan focusing on eating the right carbs and fats; it is not necessary to count calories; it is flexible and can be adjusted based on personal preferences; it is not a diet, but a lifestyle; and finally, weight loss is not the sole benefit of the diet, but rather the improvement of overall health.
