Dr. Phil: Just a Little Too Emotional

DR. PHIL MCGRAW, the pop psychologist who made it big as the
tough-love guru on Oprah’s talk show, has a hugely popular diet
W H Y T H E A B S D I E T ? A N D W H Y N O W ? 29
program whose main emphasis is on stripping food of its emotional
power. McGraw’s book, The Ultimate Weight Solution: The
7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom, stresses the notion that we’ve allowed
food to have too much power in our lives and that, in
order to quit binge eating, we need to (a) limit our access to junk
food, (b) select foods that take a long time to prepare and chew
so that it’s harder for us to eat, and (c) stop eating to satisfy
cravings and feelings of stress. Sounds good, except that in
today’s world, Antarctica is about the only place that doesn’t
have convenient access to junk food. I agree that we should stop
eating to satisfy cravings and stress, and I applaud Dr. Phil for
recognizing the psychological aspects of our eating habits. What
the Abs Diet does is show you how to eat to prevent cravings
and stress. The Abs Diet makes it easy to snack smartly
throughout the day, so you’ll never go hungry. It also helps you
take control of your food intake, your body, and your life, so you
can beat back stress. The best reason the Abs Diet is superior to
Dr. Phil? No moustache!