What Is The Scarsdale Diet?

Dr. Herman Turnower created the Scarsdale diet, named for the New York town of its birth, in the 1970s as a weight loss program for heart patients. It was intended to be used for quick weight loss, claiming an individual could lose up to twenty pounds in two weeks if they followed it to a tee. On this diet, individuals still consume three meals per day, but limit their caloric intake to just one thousand calories. The meals are made up of forty-three percent protein, 22.5 percent fat, and 34.5 percent carbohydrates and are accompanied by four cups of water each day. The diet, which is known for being a crash diet in nature, is intended to be followed for only seven to fourteen days.