The 9-Inch Diet Review - Can You Lose Weight with This Portion Control Diet Plan?

9-Inch Diet Overview

Over the years, the size of our dinner plates has increased along with our waistlines. According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 30 percent of American adults are obese, not to mention numerous children and teenagers. We’ve heard all the warnings – obesity raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, yet we still seem to be struggling with our weight. Why can’t we get our weight under control?

A new diet book, The 9-Inch Diet: Exposing the Big Conspiracy in America, claims that the problem is portions. The authors, Alex Bogusky and Chuck Porter, did some research and found that the standard size of dinner plates has increased nearly 4 inches in diameter over the past 30 years. What does this mean? The authors believe that because of visual cues, we eat more from a larger plate than we would on a smaller plate. So, we end up eating more food than Americans did 30 years ago, and our waistlines are paying the price. So, the 9-Inch Diet is simple: eat what you want, but only use 9-inch plates instead of the standard 12-inch plate.

What You Can Eat (2 out of 5)

The 9-Inch Diet is pretty easy when it comes to what you can eat. Bogusky cares more about the size of your dinner plate, rather than what you fill it with. The book does recommend healthy snacks and limited alcohol intake, but most people will need more guidance about what exactly to eat. You can fill a 9-inch dinner plate with fried chicken, french fries and brownies, but that doesn’t mean the food is good for you or that you will lose weight.

Does the 9-Inch Diet Work? (3 out of 5)

The folks behind the 9-Inch Diet claim that you can start to see results after as little as one week on the diet. In fact, Alex Bogusky lost 15 pounds following his own diet, and you certainly can lose weight by cutting back on your food intake. However, overweight adults who eat unhealthy foods, regardless of the size of their dinner plate, will not see major results.

Bottom Line on the 9-Inch Diet (2 out of 5)

The concept behind the 9-Inch Diet is a good one. We need to reduce our enormous portions and cut back on our food intake. However, there is much more behind the obesity epidemic than the size of our dinner plates. Portions certainly play a role, but the prominence of processed and fast foods into our diet is an even larger contributor. A Big Mac or a Whopper both fit onto a 9-inch dinner plate, don’t they?

Interestingly, the author of the 9-Inch Diet, Alex Bogusky, is a partner in the advertising agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky. This ad agency represents Burger King, the company that sells the Triple Whopper and Double Meat ‘n Cheese Croissan’which. There’s nothing wrong with that, but do we really want to take nutrition advice from one of the people tasked with convincing us to purchase and eat more fast food?

Overall, most Americans will need more guidance on what to eat than this diet provides. On the 9-Inch Diet, you can eat pretty much what you want, which sets dieters up for failure. Lots of unhealthy foods can fit on a 9-inch plate, which is why I say skip the 9-Inch Diet and incorporate elements of portion control into a healthy eating plan.