Seth Roberts

In the early 1980s, Roberts suffered from insomnia. Through self-experimentation, he set out to solve this problem by varying aspects of his lifestyle, like exercise and calcium intake.Minkel, J.R. [http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=self-experimenter-free-from-insomnia Self-Experimenter freed himself from insomnia, acne, and love handles] Scientific American, March 18, 2008. After many failures to see an improvement in his sleep, he eventually discovered that delaying breakfast, seeing faces in the morning, morning light, and standing solved this problem.Roberts, Seth [http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1315&context=postprints Self-experimentation as a source for new ideas:] Ten examples about sleep, mood, health, and weight, 2004. When Roberts discovered a trend or solution, he typically looked backwards evolutionarily for an explanation.[https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/11/magazine/11FREAK.html Does the Truth Lie Within?] Dubner and Levitt. New York Times Magazine. 9/11/2005 "Once he stumbled upon this solution, Roberts, like many scientists, looked back to the Stone Age for explication." Roberts would later apply this method to solving problems in health, sleep, and mood, among other things.

The generalized validity of Robert's conclusions have been questioned by scientists who assert that his experiments lacked a control group, were not blinded, and were potentially biased.[https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/11/magazine/11FREAK.html Does the Truth Lie Within?] Dubner and Levitt. New York Times Magazine. 9/11/2005 "Many modern scientists dismiss it as being not nearly scientific enough: there is no obvious control group, and you can hardly run a double-blind experiment when the researcher and subject are the same person. But might the not-quite-scientific nature of self-experimentation also be a good thing? A great many laboratory-based scientific experiments, especially those in the medical field, are later revealed to have been marred by poor methodology or blatant self-interest."

Roberts was called the "champion of self-experimentation" for his contributions to the field. Professor Tyler Cowen called Roberts' theme of experimenting on the self the "highest stage of science".[http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2007/02/all_my_life_for.html Self-Experimentation] "Seth realizes that the self is often the last thing we know and discovering the self is the highest stage of science not to mention performance art."

{{Main|The Shangri-La Diet}}

As a graduate student, Roberts studied animal learning, specifically "rat psychology".[http://www.thedietchannel.com/Shangri-La-Diet-Interview-with-Dr-Seth-Roberts.htm Interview with Author Dr. Seth Roberts] The Diet Channel After Roberts read a report by Israel Ramirez studying the effect of saccharin on weight gain in rats, he thought of his new theory "in seconds".Ramirez, Israel [http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/120/1/123 Stimulation of Energy Intake and Growth by Saccharin in Rats] September 25, 1989. Roberts tried about ten different variations, such as eating sushi, eating foods with low glycemic index, and drinking vinegar, before arriving at the Shangri La Diet.

Roberts argued that weight is controlled by maintaining body weight at a certain amount, referred to as a "set point". When weight is above the set point, appetite decreases, and it takes less food to feel full. When weight is below the set point, appetite increases, and it takes more food to feel full.{{cite book | last= Roberts | first= Seth | title= The Shangri-La Diet: The No Hunger Eat Anything Weight-Loss Plan | publisher= Perigee Books |orig-year=2006 |date= 2007| isbn= 978-0399533167}} He further stated that eating strongly flavored foods (like soda or donuts) can raise the set point, whereas flavorless foods (like sugar water, canola oil, extra light olive oil) can lower the set point.[http://sciencereview.berkeley.edu/articles/issue11/bookreview.pdf A Spoonful of Sugar] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513043537/http://sciencereview.berkeley.edu/articles/issue11/bookreview.pdf |date=2008-05-13 }} Book Review These flavorless foods must be consumed in a "flavorless window," at least one hour after and one hour before consuming flavors. Consumption of 100-400 flavorless calories per day lowers the set point, and therefore, lowers weight.

The name is taken from the fictional Shangri-La, a reference Roberts explained by stating that Shangri-La is a "very peaceful place. My diet puts people at peace with food."

The diet has been endorsed or mentioned by Tyler Cowen, Stephen Dubner, Tim Ferriss, Tucker Max and Wired Magazine writer Gary Wolf.[http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2006/04/the_shangrila_d.html Marginal Revolution:] The Shangri-La Diet, April 7, 2006.Ferriss, Tim [http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/01/27/relax-like-a-pro-5-steps-to-hacking-your-sleep/ Relax Like A Pro: Five Steps to Hacking Your Sleep] "thanks Seth Roberts, PHD. for this tip"[http://messageboard.tuckermax.com/showthread.php?p=515754&#post515754 Tipping the Scales] Rudius Media Messageboards[http://absolutelyeverythingelse.blogspot.com/2008/06/annals-of-self-experiment-seth-roberts.html Gary Wolf blog] "'Im becoming a devoted fan of Seth Robert's, one of the great champion of self-experimentation." It was criticized by UCLA nutritionist Dr. John Ford.Ford, John {{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20111112162359/http://www.ideasinactiontv.com/tcs_daily/2006/05/troubles-in-shangri-la.html Troubles in Shangri-La]}} on TCSDaily

Through word of mouth, the book became a New York Times bestseller.[http://media.sethroberts.net/images/2006-05-21_nyt_bestseller.pdf] May 21st, 2006. New York Times Bestseller list. It made it as high as #2 on Amazon.com's bestseller list.[http://calorielab.com/news/2006/05/10/shangri-la-de-da-diet-in-comic-form/ Shangri La De Da Diet in Comic Form] Calorie Lab. May 2006 At one point in 2006, Roberts' book was ranked #3 on Amazon while on Freakonomics, a friend and early supporter of the book, it was ranked #4.{{cite news

| last = Levitt

| first = Steven

| title = Friends in High Places

| publisher = Freakonomics Blog, New York Times

| date = May 5, 2006

| url = http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/05/05/friends-in-high-places/

| accessdate = 2008-06-26}}

The Shangri-La Diet was also featured on Good Morning America, where journalist Diane Sawyer tried a tablespoon of olive oil.{{cite news

| last =

| first =

| title = Oil and Water: Key to Weight Loss?

| publisher = ABC

| date = November 14, 2005

| url = https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/BeautySecrets/story?id=1310260

| accessdate = 2008-06-26}}{{cite news

| last = Dubner

| first = Stephen

| title = The Shangri-La Diet, Between Hard Covers

| publisher = Freakonomics Blog, New York Times

| date = November 14, 2005

| url = https://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/04/20/the-shangri-la-diet-between-hard-covers/

| accessdate = 2008-06-26}}

In September 2001, Dr. Ranjit Chandra, a prominent nutrition researcher, published a study about the effects of vitamin supplementation on the cognitive functions of the elderly.Chandra, Ranjit [http://media.sethroberts.net/chandra/Effect_of_Vitamin_and_Trace_Element_Supplementation_on_Cognitive_Function_in_Elderly_Subjects.pdf Effect of Vitamin and Trace-Element Supplementation on Cognitive Function of the Elderly] April 13, 2001. Roberts and Saul Sternberg, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, discovered inconsistencies in the data presented, specifically in the data distribution and standard deviation.Roberts and Sternberg [http://media.sethroberts.net/chandra/2003_Chandra_letter_in_Nutrition.pdf Letters to the Editor:] Do Nutritional Supplements Improve Cognitive Function in the Elderly, November 12, 2002. Roberts is quoted as stating "the results were not just implausible, they were impossible."{{Explain|date=June 2024|reason=What were the results and what about them then he deem impossible?}}{{cite news

| last = Brody

| first = Jane

| title = A Top Scientist's Research is Under Attack

| work = New York Times

| date = May 6, 2004

| url =https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9B04E5DE1F3DF935A35756C0A9629C8B63

| accessdate = 2008-06-28}} The story received recognition in both the British Medical Journal and the New York Times.

{{cite news

| last = White

| first = Caroline

| title = Three journals raise doubts on validity of Canadian study

| publisher = BMJ

| date = January 10, 2004

| url = http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/328/7431/67?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=white&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1135777379569_4719&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&volume=328&firstpage=67&resourcetype=1\

| accessdate = 2008-06-28}} The CBC ran a three-part documentary about the controversy called "The Secret Life of Dr. Chandra".{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/national/news/chandra/|title=CBC Documentary|publisher=}} In 2005, Nutrition issued a retraction of Chandra's original paper.[http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/22614/ Nutrition Retracts 2001 Paper] on TheScientist.com

Roberts died on Saturday, April 26, 2014. He collapsed while hiking near his home in Berkeley, California. Occlusive coronary artery disease and cardiomegaly contributed to his death.Seth Roberts Blog. [http://archives.sethroberts.net/blog/2014/05/10/cause-of-death/ "Seth"], 10 May 2014. Retrieved on 6 June 2014.

• N of 1 trial
• Self-experimentation in medicine
• Human enhancement

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{cite journal|last1=Roberts|first1=Seth|authorlink1=Seth Roberts|title=The unreasonable effectiveness of my self-experimentation|journal=Medical Hypotheses|date=December 2010|volume=75|issue=6|pages=482–489|doi=10.1016/j.mehy.2010.04.030|pmc=2964443|pmid=20580874}}{{open access}}

• [http://sethroberts.net/ sethroberts.net], his official website with blog and forum
• [https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/self-experimenter-free-from-insomnia/ "Self-Experimenter Freed Himself from Insomnia, Acne and Love Handles: Seth Roberts says the key to self-help lies in the scientific method,"] by Scientific American's J.R. Minkel
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120507141719/http://media.sethroberts.net/about/whatmakesfoodfattening.pdf What Makes Food Fattening? A Pavlovian Theory of Weight Control], outline of his theory of calorie-associated flavors raising the set point
• [https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2xc2h866 Self-experimentation as a source of new ideas: Ten examples about sleep, mood, health, and weight]

{{Authority control}}

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Category:2014 deaths

Category:University of California, Berkeley faculty

Category:Writers from Berkeley, California

Category:20th-century American psychologists

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Category:American food writers

Category:Diet food advocates

Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers

Category:1953 births