Jersey Shore: Another Season, Another Fad Diet

It's summertime, so love it or hate it, the exceedingly tan cast of "The Jersey Shore" is back on MTV. Not everyone is excited. New Jersey officials have openly criticized the program for its negative portrayal of Seaside Heights, N.J., where the first season was filmed.

Not to worry, the cast has headed down to Miami for the upcoming season.

Little has changed with the move to South Florida. The cast is still obsessed with their looks, and Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, has used her time between seasons to find a way to get rid of unwanted pounds.

"I have always been self-conscious about my weight," Snooki told That's Fit. "I even battled an eating disorder back in high school. While I was busy shooting 'Jersey Shore,' I got sidetracked and packed on some weight, which I would like to shed in time for season two."

Fellow cast member Jenni "JWoWW" Farley followed a quick-fix, calorie-restrictive diet, and now Snooki is doing the same in hopes of slimming down. And while the "Jersey Shore" cast are certainly role models for fist pumping, they are probably the last people anyone should take healthy living advice from.

Snooki reached out to Dr. Sanford Siegal, a Miami, Fla.-based physician who created a weight-loss program called The Cookie Diet more than 30 years ago. It's essentially what it sounds like: a diet that replaces most meals with cookies.

The Cookie Diet, which runs about $60 a week, may provide temporary weight loss, but according to experts, the diet is so restrictive that people are bound to want to eat something besides cookies after a while. So you're left with the same problem: How do you maintain a healthy weight in the real world?

"A weight-loss program like this raises red flags and is unrealistic in terms of long-range weight loss because it brings on unwanted cravings," said Dr. Stuart Fisher, author of "The Park Avenue Diet." "Not only does consuming cookies keep their sweet tooth active, but it also reminds dieters of the forbidden stuff they are missing."

But Snooki defends the diet. "It's not like I'm eating cookie loaded with fat," she said. "The cookies contain an amino acid mixture, whey protein and soy, which are good for developing muscle."

However, Snooki said she isn't exactly hitting up the gym every day, which makes muscle building much more difficult.

"I never tried any diet plans because I always did my own thing," Snooki said. "The problem was after two weeks I got bored and stopped. Since I lead such a crazy life and don't have time to prepare my own meals, I felt this diet was perfect for me."

Although the idea of eating cookies to lose weight may sound appealing to Snooki and others, Fischer feels that following The Cookie Diet or other weight loss program that requires you to eat its specially prepared food will backfire in the end.

Programs like The Cookie Diet, NutriSystem and Jenny Craig have been proven to help you lose weight, but medical studies show that 95 percent of dieters will throw in the towel after six weeks and put back on the weight they lost, according to Fischer.

Snookie said that she gained most of the weight on season one, at least in part to empty alcohol calories, so we have to wonder if she'll be snacking on cookies instead of sipping cocktails in South Beach clubs.

"The trick," Fischer said, "is dieters like Snooki need to give their bodies an extreme makeover by sticking to foods like lean protein, veggies, whole grains, fruit and also learn about portion control."

For instance, rather than snacking on two oatmeal cookies -- which Snooki told That's Fit are her favorites -- "I would rather Snooki take those 180 calories and have a salad that includes lettuce, tomato slices, radish, carrots, green/yellow pepper and a pinch of virgin olive oil," said Fischer. By teaching her body about proper nutrition, the long-term effects will last longer than two cookies.

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