The Bright Line: Diet or Disordered Eating?

Many of you have asked me to weigh in on an approach to weight loss known as Bright Line Eating. Some people claim that this approach has helped them lose weight when all other methods failed. 

The approach was developed by Susan Peirce Thompson, who has a Ph.D. in Brain and Cognitive Science and claims that her approach is grounded in cutting-edge psychology and neuroscience.  According to promotional materials, Bright Line Eating is "very structured and takes a liberating stand against moderation."

Instead of "very structured," I'd describe it as "extremely rigid." And if the phrase "a liberating stand against moderation," sounds a bit Orwellian to you, well, you're not alone. This zero-tolerance approach could be considered "liberating" in the same way that a maximum-security prison might liberate you from a life of crime.

There are four so-called Bright Lines:

Bright Line #1: Foods containing any form of sugar, sweeteners, artificial sweeteners, or concentrated fruit juices are strictly forbidden. Forever.  Although it's not mentioned specifically in this rule, elsewhere in the materials, alcohol is equated with sugar and is, therefore, apparently included in this prohibition.

Bright Line #2: Also forbidden are foods containing any type of flour, including whole wheat flour, and flour made from any other grains, seeds, or nuts. Is it your wedding day? Sorry, no cake for you. This is a bright line.

Bright Line #3: You must eat exactly three meals a day, absolutely no snacking, and no exceptions—not even to check the seasoning of something you might be cooking. Helpful tip: Put a piece of tape over your mouth while cooking to prevent accidental breaches of protocol. (No, I'm serious. This is actually recommended.)

Bright Line #4: You must weigh or measure every single thing you eat, forever. Heading to a restaurant? Pack your scale. There are no exceptions to this rule. The type and amount of food at each of your three meals is strictly dictated and adds up to about 1200 calories a day—a bit more if you are a man but otherwise, it's one size fits all.

And that's it: Just follow these 4 simple rules to the letter—forever—and you too can be happy, thin, and free!

I'm being facetious, obviously. (Although that is the subtitle of Dr. Thompson's book: The Science of Living Happy, Thin and Free.)

And I want to acknowledge that one's willingness to embrace such a draconian approach will probably depend on the degree of suffering you feel that your weight is causing you. If this approach succeeds where everything else has failed, it's certainly your prerogative to decide that...

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