Cognitive Distortion: The Blood Type Diet

Cognitive Distortion Discussion: The Blood Type Diet

 http://www.dadamo.com/

http://www.pinterest.com/explore/blood-type-diet/.

The blood type diet was developed by naturopath Peter J. D’Adamo, N.D. who believes that blood type is the key that unlocked the door to the mysteries of health, disease, longevity, physical vitality and emotional strength. He also believes that blood type is the evolutionary market that determines which foods are best and harmful for your body.

This theory is focused around the action of sugar-containing proteins called lectins. Lectins are found on the surface of certain foods and can cause disruptions throughout the body depending on blood type. These lectins determine which foods and exercise is recommended for each blood type.

There is no scientific evidence and research to support the blood type diet. The diet guidelines are also very restrictive and eliminate whole food groups in certain diet plans. Eliminating major food groups can lead to the lack of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients needed for a healthy body.

There is a lot of cognitive distortion surrounding the blood type diet. First, A’damo’s book, Eat Right for your Type was a New York Times best seller and the Huffington Post readers voted it one of the 50 Life-Changing books. Remembering there is no scientific research to back this diet up; readers and dieters look past this and believe it is a creditable diet because it was on the best seller list.

D’Adamo dedicates an entire section on his website to In the News. He posts links to articles that support his diet. For example, he has an article from Dr. Oz stating that eating for his blood type gives him more vital energy. We all know how powerful Dr. Oz is in the health and nutrition world and if he is following this diet, everyone should be following it too….ughh! He also has articles from Gwyneth Paltrow and Larry Fitzgerald supporting the diet. Going back to our forum post about celebrities and fad diets, the blood type diet has a lot of celebrity support and advocates.

Another interesting form of cognitive distortion I found was a pinterest page supporting the blood type diet. The page had articles, celebrities’ articles, articles written by A’damo, testimonials, before and after photos and more. Social media has a huge influence on what we do, what we think, etc. and pinterest is a huge craze right now. Having an entire page dedicated to the blood type diet sparks interest in those who never heard of it and persuades those you have to try it.

Lastly, I had someone at work ask me about the blood type diet the other day. It was perfect timing because I had already started my research on the diet for the presentation. The lady said she had been doing “research” and has heard a lot of great things about it. Her friend tried it and said she’s never felt better. Word of mouth is also a huge form of cognitive distortion. People trust and believe others who have tried something and liked it.

I’ve always been aware of cognitive distortion but this paper and presentation have made me more aware and conscious about it. Just about every health and wellness product has some form of cognitive distortion which has created this halo effect in the health and nutrition world.