understand what it is, how to do it and what the rules are

Created in 1966 by Dr. Alfredo Halpern, endocrinologist, professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of São Paulo (USP) and head of the Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome group at the Hospital das Clínicas at USP, the dots diet aims to help with weight loss without determining which foods should be ingested.

Creation of the points diet

Over the time of endocrinological care, Dr. Alfredo Halpern realized that 80% of his patients sought medical attention to lose weight. He also noted that the diets indicated by nutritionists, despite being healthy and balanced, were strict, which made many people give up on the weight loss process.

To solve this problem, Dr. Alfredo Halpern thought of a procedure that frees the patient to eat anything, the only requirement is to control the number of points ingested per day. Thus, it is enough to manage the points consumed so as not to exceed the amount established by the doctor based on weight, age, gender and the amount of physical activity performed.

How to calculate the points on the diet?

According to Ricardo Zanuto, nutritionist and master in physiology, the calories in foods are converted to points. In this case, 1 point equals 3.6 kcal. “Knowing the caloric value of the food, you simply divide it by 3.6. As there is no restriction on any type of food, knowing the nutritional information of what you want to consume, it is possible to convert it into points, especially for processed foods”, explains the specialist.

downside of diet

For Ricardo Zanuto, the main disadvantage of this diet is that it is only concerned with the amount of food ingested, not the quality. “The dots diet is not directly focused on choosing healthier foods, but on its quantitative rather than qualitative nature, which can lead to severe nutritional deficiencies”, warns the nutritionist.

Points diet rules

Although the diet allows any type of food, with the method it is possible to to lose weight about 4 kg per month. Weight loss depends on the proposed point restriction and the patient’s goals. In a new version of the diet proposed by Dr. Alfredo Halpern, foods with trans fats were banned from the menu. “Trans fats have proven to increase LDL (bad cholesterol) and decrease HDL (good cholesterol), which can lead to dyslipidemia”, guarantees Ricardo Zanuto.

Beware of trans fat consumption

To ensure that the food you consume is free of trans fat, it is essential to read labels carefully. If it has more than 0.2 g of trans per serving, don’t hesitate to return it to the shelf. Consuming several foods with a little bit of this fat can make you easily exceed the 2 g portion, which is the daily limit stipulated by the World Health Organization (WHO) for an adult.

Points diet advantage

O nutritionist and physiologist Ricardo Zanuto points out that the main advantage of Dieta dos Pontos is the possibility of dieting without having to restrict anything you like or are used to eating. “Some consider it practical, however, walking around all the time with a calculator and tables at hand at each meal is inconvenient, especially at the beginning of the diet”, considers the professional.