In 1993, Dr. Dean Ornish came out with a book entitled Eat More, Weigh Less. The primary focus of the book was to urge people to boost their consumption of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables while decreasing their consumption of fat. Ornish subsequently made headlines by becoming a dietary consultant to McDonald’s, helping the hamburger giant to develop the fruit and walnut salad which now appears on the restaurant’s re-vamped menu.

Ornish’s work began in 1977 when he was studying ways to combat heart attacks. He hypothesized that heart disease could be successfully treated by cutting the fat in a patient’s diet, as well as reducing the amount of unrefined carbohydrates he or she consumes. During his research, he noticed that his patients lost about 25 pounds each and managed to maintain the weight loss for five years. (more…)