Type Program: diet book bestseller

The D’Adamo Naturopathic Center

2009 Summer St.

Stamford, CT 06909

203-348-4800

Website: www.dadamo.com

Summary

Beginning in the early 1980's Peter D'Adamo tested many individual foods for blood type reactivity, and developed several blood type specific interventions. Since the 1990's Dr. Peter D'Adamo has trained and certified over 200 practitioners in his method. In 1997 Dr. Peter D'Adamo wrote the book Eat Right 4 Your Type, a NY Times and worldwide bestseller. In 1998 The D'Adamo Naturopathic Center opened its new facility in Stamford Connecticut. It is run by Dr. Peter D'Adamo and is staffed with trained ND, MD and RN professionals. An initial 1-hour visit with Dr. D’Adamo will cost you $450, and an office call after that, $150. He has several other doctors working on staff: Dr. Bronner Handwerger and Dr. Mark Garber.

The ‘blood type diet" theory has gained widespread public attention since the release of Eat Right 4 Your Type. The basic premise for this diet is that the four main blood groups each react in different ways to different foods. This is because humans evolved in different ways for the four different blood groups (Type O, A, B and AB). The book says that Type O’s are the dominant, hunter-type, genetically required to eat meat, while Type A’s are docile vegetarians, and Type B’s are dairy-eating omnivores.

However, the "blood type diet" theory and the book which promotes it, present many scientific and nutritional problems which have raised the concern of some scientists and health professionals. According to critics, this diet is not based on any scientific facts and there are glaring inconsistencies within the book with very little proof as to its conclusions. Nutrition experts say that you would be lucky to lose any weight as a Type A, B or AB diet. If however, you were Type O, then you would be following a low carbohydrate high protein diet and the diet would result in weight loss. The Type O diet has all the health risks associated with a low carb diet such as the Atkins diet.

Since most people are unaware of their blood type, it is reasonable to assume that many of us regularly eat "the wrong foods" for our blood type (e.g., Type O’s eating wheat, Type A’s eating meat, etc.) Thus, according Dr. D’Adamo’s theory, everyone experiences repeated showers of agglutinated red cells throughout their bloodstream, day after day, month after month, year after year. If the capillary beds in your heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, eyes, and other essential organs are subjected to a repeated barrage of agglutinated red cells, they will eventually begin to clog up, resulting in tissue damage. The brain, heart, lungs, kidneys and adrenals would soon be irreparably damaged by these processes, which could prove fatal for millions of people.

In Eat Right 4 Your Type Dr. D’Adamo shows you…

• Which foods, spices, teas, and condiments help someone of your blood type maintain optimal health and ideal weight.

• Which vitamins to emphasize and avoid.

• Which medication functions best in your system.

• Whether your stress goes to your muscles or your nervous system.

• Whether you should walk, swim or play tennis or golf as your mode of exercise.

• How knowing your blood type can help you avoid many common viruses and infections.

• How knowing your blood type can help you fight back against life threatening diseases.

• How to slow down the aging process by avoiding factors specific to your blood type that cause rapid cell deterioration.

Dr. D’Adamo has created a website, www.dadamo.com, to support and complement his book. At the website, one can find some information and history of his Naturopathic Center, and how his diet became popular. There are the usual features such as FAQs, message board archives back to 1997, and a "getting started" section explaining the program. You will find the following tools at the website:

• Recipes

• Practitioners

• Food values

• Lectin database values

• Calculators

• Online medical dictionary

You will also find some interactive tools such as a personality type assessment, calculators, and other tools. The website also contains a multimedia library (blood type lecture videos, media interviews).

This is a purely self-help weight loss program, with no counseling available, unless you personally visit his center in Connecticut. You either agree with Dr. D’ Adamo’s theory of blood typing or you don’t. According to the diet program review website diet-i.com, this plan’s negatives include the fact that there is a lot of very detailed information the dieter must remember. In addition, many foods are prohibited, so that balancing your diet can be difficult. Also, if you have several different blood types among your family, you may need to prepare several meals. To his credit, he has created a useful website supporting his book, with some interactive tools, so that you are not left completely on your own.