Mar 27, 2012 12:56pm

The doctor behind the Dukan Diet is under fire for suggesting there be an exam teenage students in France pass by staying thin.

Dr. Pierre Dukan, whose Atkins-like diet has been credited for the famous figures of Kate Middleton and Gilsele Bundchen, faces a disciplinary hearing for remarks, which could harm teenagers already struggling with obesity or anorexia, according to a complaint filed Sunday by the French College of Physicians.

In January, Dukan said Frances Baccalaureate exam a test 17-year-olds have to take to finish high school and go on to college should include an anti-obesity option, which students could satisfy by staying within their recommended weight ranges, the BBC reported. The French College of Physicians said Dukan was in breach of Frances medical ethics code, which says a doctor must be aware of the repercussions his views can have on the public.

Everything about this is wrong, said Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center. Its wrong because it invites eating disorders. Its wrong because weight has nothing to do with academic performance and the notion that weight is a behavior that should incentivized is just wrong. Weight is an outcome. We should incentivize things people can control.

Katz said the emphasis should be on physical activity and diet choices.

If we apply rewards to weight, were mistaking weight for a behavior. Some people who eat well and are physically active are heavy. And some people who eat poorly and dont exercise are thin, he said. This misses the mark in every conceivable way.

Roughly 18 percent of American adolescents are obese, up from 5 percent in 1980, according to theU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In a second complaint, the French College of Physicians said Dukan was more focused on making money than on medicine another ethics breach. Dukan has sold more than seven million copies of his dieting books, the BBC reported.

People in public health and medicine should first and foremost be committed to doing good, said Katz, adding that he does not know Dukans motivations. As long as theyre being honest and honorable and using the available scientific evidence, I think its OK [to make money as well]. I think when money is the priority, you dont belong in public health or medicine in the first place. If you want to make money, work on Wall Street.

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Dukan Diet Guru Faces Ethics Hearing

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire -03/27/12)- The Dukan Diet (Crown Archetype, On-Sale April 2011), has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 24 weeks, including five weeks at the #1 spot. With over 400,000 copies in print in the United States, a robust online coaching program Dukan Diet Coaching, and continued buzz as readers achieve and maintain their weight loss goals, the Dukan Diet is recognized as a diet sensation. And as millions of Dukan Dieters around the world know, delicious food and permanent weight loss can go hand in hand. Now comes the North American debut of THE DUKAN DIET COOKBOOK (Crown Archetype, On-Sale Tuesday, March 27, 2012) -- already an international bestseller -- the must-have resource for making the Dukan Diet successful and delicious.

Developed by Dr. Pierre Dukan, a French medical doctor who has spent 40 years helping people to lose weight, the Dukan Diet rejects counting calories and promises permanent weight loss while allowing adherents to eat as much as they like, and to benefit from highly personalized online coaching to help them achieve and maintain their weight loss goals.

In this innovative, stand-alone cookbook, Dukan's method is outlined in detail for newcomers to the program. His famous "100 Natural Foods" list is also included, making it easy for beginners to get started, and many of the "Dr. Dukan-approved" products such as top-quality Dukan Diet Organic Oat Bran and Shirataki Noodles are found at the online Dukan store, ShopDukanDiet.com.

"I did not conceive this book as a traditional cookbook, focusing solely on flavor and pleasure, but rather as a companion to my Dukan Diet plan -- a book full not just of delicious recipes, but of delicious recipes that fit with my golden rules and that use the 100 foods that are allowable on my diet," said Dr. Dukan from the Preface.

The Dukan Diet is a high-protein, low fat, low cholesterol approach to weight loss that follows four steps: two steps to lose weight (Attack and Cruise phases) and two steps to keep it off forever (the Consolidation and Stabilization phases). Once dieters have calculated their "True Weight," they begin the Dukan Attack phase (only lean, unlimited protein supplemented by a delicious oat bran galette are consumed from two to seven days) followed by the Cruise phase (followers alternate days of pure protein with days of protein combined with vegetables until they gradually reach their desired weight).

The Consolidation phase is precisely engineered to prevent the rebound effect (unlimited protein and vegetables are allowed with other reintroduced foods, such as fruit, cheese, and bread, along with two portions of starches and two weekly celebration meals). Dieters stay on this phase for 5 days for every pound lost. The Stabilization phase is the final, maintenance stage of the plan (devotees return to eat whatever they want without regaining the weight provided that they follow 3 simple rules, including one day per week of eating unlimited lean protein for the rest of their lives).

THE DUKAN DIET COOKBOOK provides 350 hunger-satisfying recipes for the Attack and Cruise Phases that offer pleasure, flavor and variety on the Dukan Diet. From Crispy Chicken Wings and Ham Souffl to Turkey Meatballs with Rosemary and Mint, Mussels Provenal and Curried Turnip Soup to Flourless Chocolate Cake and a scrumptious Vanilla Cookie -- plus all-new recipes for Shirataki Noodles -- the recipes in this book prove you don't have to put culinary delights on hold to get great results!

THE DUKAN DIET COOKBOOK is the must-have companion for anyone on the diet. You'll never feel hungry and never have to count a single calorie.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:DR. PIERRE DUKAN is a French medical doctor with 40 years of experience in clinical nutrition. While he began his medical career specializing in neurology, Dr. Dukan discovered and refined his successful weight loss formula while working with his patients to adjust their diets. Since then, he has spent his career helping people lose weight and keep it off forever.

ABOUT THE BOOK: THE DUKAN DIET COOKBOOKBy Dr. Pierre Dukan ISBN: 978-0-307-98673-3 Crown Archetype $26.00, Hardcover On-Sale Date: March 27, 2012 Visit http://www.dukandietcookbook.com or http://www.dukandiet.com

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The Dukan Diet Cookbook, the Essential Companion to the International Diet Sensation and #1 New York Times Bestselling ...

Mice on high-fat diet grow four times as many cells in one part of the brain Change occurs in weeks Mice with new cells put on more weight than others - even if both are on high-fat diet Growth of 'tanycyte' cells - also found in humans

By Rob Waugh

PUBLISHED: 09:52 EST, 26 March 2012 | UPDATED: 09:52 EST, 26 March 2012

Cream tea? High-fat diets pile on weight around the midriff - but in mice at least, they seem to cause 'growth' inside the brain

High-fat diets pile on weight around the midriff - but in mice at least, they also seem to cause 'growth' inside the brain.

Sadly, a diet of cheeseburgers won't make you more intelligent - the new cells trigger weight gain.

Mice with the new cells packed on weight far faster than other mice - even when both were on the same high-fat diet.

The finding could offer an insight into how the brain controls weight gain through eating and hunger.

It could even open new avenues into understanding the factors that trigger obesity.

It's not clear whether the same process is at work in humans - but if so, the finding could also offer an avenue for anti-obesity treatments.

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Eating fatty foods makes the brain GROW - but the new cells seem to tell the body to put on even more weight

Chickpea crepes, coming soon to a kitchen near you. iPhone photo by Rebekah Denn

I know it's early to be making trend lists for 2012, but it seems everywhere I look lately I'm seeing socca, a French chickpea crepe.

You can find socca on the menu at Bastille, but I'm not seeing it show up at restaurants so much as in the kitchens of friends. It's popular among those who need to eat gluten-free meals, and with the increasing numbers of people I see on anti-inflammatory diets. Expat and dessert chef extraordinaire David Lebovitz might have planted the seeds a few years back with his post on making socca at home, where he sold us by saying that the street food from Nice "is meant to be in rough shards, eaten with your fingers, and is especially good after a long day on a sun-saturated beach when your skin is tingling with sand and you can lick your lips and taste the sand of the Mediterranean."

My friends haven't waxed quite so eloquent, but they've been relieved to find a simple food that supports their diets, from a crackery crunch in the thinner versions to a thicker soft crepe.

I gave it a try with this tomato-onion topped version from Yotam Ottolenghi's book "Plenty," which is winning raves of its own nationwide. (With the eggs and dairy, it doesn't work with all my friends' diets, but it worked for mine.) I used garbanzo bean flour from Bob's Red Mill, which is widely available at supermarkets, and it was a piece of -- well, not cake, but at least crepe.

Socca

Serves 4

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 5 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1 3/4 pounds white onions, cut into thin rings 2 tablespoons thyme leaves salt and black pepper 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar 1 3/4 cups chickpea flour 2 cups water 2 egg whites creme fraiche to serve

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Spread the tomatoes cut-side up on a small baking pan and sprinkle them with some salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes or until semi-cooked. They are not supposed to dry out completely. (Note: After 25 minutes we turned up the heat to 300, as ours didn't seem cooked enough.)

Meanwhile, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions, thyme, and some salt and pepper, and cook on high heat, stirring for about a minute. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the onions completely soft, sweet and golden brown but not very dark. At the end, stir in the vinegar, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

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Socca to me: The next food trend?

(CBS News) Dara-Lynn Weiss' daughter, Bea, had become a statistic. At 4-foot, 4 inches and 93 pounds, the 7-year-old had become obese. So, the Vogue columnist did what she knew best: She put Bea on a strict diet.

"One day Bea came home from school in tears, confessing that a boy at school had called her fat. The incident crushed me, but it was a wake-up call. Being overweight is not a private struggle. Everyone can see it," Weiss wrote in the April 2012 issue of Vogue.

VIDEO: 12-year-old teaches town to lose weight Bullied boy loses 85 lbs., inspires others to lose

Weiss wrote she decided to enroll her daughter into a "Red Light, Green Light" diet program. The mother detailed her struggle to keep Bea fit and how she turned to such tactics as making her go without dinner after she celebrated French heritage day at school, banning her from participating in "pizza Fridays" and publicly admonishing her cravings in front of others. In the end Bea lost 16 pounds in one year, but it has left many wondering whether the harsh and berating treatment worth the weight loss.

While Bea's weight loss was impressive, some experts say that Weiss went about it all in the wrong way. Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, who runs the Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right program that Bea enrolled in, confirmed to HealthPop that Bea's weight made her considered obese, and said she respected and understood why Weiss was so strict because of the difficulty of the situation.

But, Dolgoff insisted that Weiss' methods were not the intention of her program. The traffic light-based diet system revolves around teaching kids healthy eating habits, so they can be in charge of their diet plans.

"We want to empower these kids," Dolgoff said. "Studies show that if you treat overweight kids in a sensitive manner, you do decrease emotional problems."

Dolgoff said that the Weiss stopped going to the counseling sessions halfway through the program and Bea and her mother didn't get the emotional support they needed. The Red Light program ultimately allows the child to make the decisions, and even if the kid slips up and eats something that is unhealthy, parents are advised to let them do it.

"Their emotional health is extremely important, and that's what we talk a lot about in the visit," Dolgoff said. "We don't want them thinking they've been bad. We explain it's hard to be healthy in our society when they put supersized everything in front of you."

Childhood obesity is a society problem in the U.S. According to the Center of Disease Control, between 1980 and 2008 the percentage of children aged 6 to 11 who were obese has risen 14 percent, and for those 12 to 19 years it has gone up 13 percent. More than one third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese.

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Should 7-year-olds be put on strict diets? Vogue article sparks debate