Inuit Diet

The Inuit diet, also known as the Eskimo diet, is based upon the supposed eating habits of the Inuit people, who traditionally consume protein as the bulk of their diet. Following the Inuit plan is relatively straightforward; the only food you are to eat during the weight loss phase of the plan is meat. This diet plan was popularized by Dr. Donaldson in the 1960s, and based upon his observations when visiting the New York Natural History museum. He found that many of the Inuit skeletons he observed there had well-preserved teeth, and turned to a colleague who had lived with the Inuit for more insight into their diets. He began to prescribe a meat-based diet to his patients, many of whom had success at losing weight.
The first part of Donaldson’s plan which participants followed until they lost the desired amount of weight, consisted of a porterhouse steak three times a day accompanied by a black sugar-free coffee. After participants reach their weight goal, they are allowed to introduce other foods into the diet. If the dieter’s weight stays stable, they are considered cured, but if they gain weight, they must revert to the meat-only phase of the diet.
This type of diet has a number of flaws, and nutritionists do not put any stock in Dr. Donaldson’s claims. The Inuit ate their high protein diet out of necessity, since keeping their bodies warm is imperative in the frozen Arctic. Dieticians see no reason why modern humans should eschew healthy fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. They caution that participants in the Inuit plan might find themselves lacking in many vital nutrients, and that they could be putting themselves at risk of heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses linked to over-consumption of meat.