Born in southwest France (Angoulme) in 1944, Michel Montignac went on to study political science and established a professional career in Human Resource management before specializing in nutrition. With a family history of obesity (Mr. Montignac's father weighed 265 lbs) and having suffered himself with excess weight during his youth, he soon became interested in all that concerned good nutrition.
In the early 1980's, while holding the position of European personnel director for a large American multinational pharmaceutical firm, he turned his attention and energies to the study of nutrition. This subject was all the more important considering his required daily business lunches.
By studying the scientific documents now available to him, he began to develop theories as to the true causes of weight gain and the measures that could be taken to lose weight without restricting the amount of food eaten.
Being at ease with both the written and spoken word, Mr. Montignac set out to make known to the public the results of his research after having successfully tried his methods on those closest to him and on himself, by losing 35 lbs in 3 months.
This success prompted him in 1986 to write his first book intended for businessmen entitled "Comment maigrir en faisant des repas d'affaires" (How to Lose Weight While Enjoying Business Lunches). In 1987 he followed with a new publication for the general public entitled "Je mange donc je maigris" (Eat Yourself Slim). This book broke all sales records and became a best seller, and over the past 10 years more than 7 million copies have been sold in 25 countries.
Following the publication of four recipe books, the 1994 appearance of "La Mthode MONTIGNAC Spcial Femme" (The MONTIGNAC Method Ladies Special Edition) assured him a prominent place in the field of diet and nutrition.
Though at first received with some caution and skepticism, the MONTIGNAC Method has taken hold through word of mouth and has proven its effectiveness, thanks to the impressive and long-lasting results achieved by those who up until then had fought a losing battle with excess weight. The overwhelming acceptance of Michel MONTIGNAC's theories within the medical community, both in France and abroad, has made the author a nutrition specialist on whom to rely. As a result, he has become a much sought-after speaker at international symposiums on nutrition.
In 1996, Michel MONTIGNAC published "Restez jeune en mangeant mieux" (Eat Well and Stay Young), a book intended for people over 50 years of age, as well as a book on the therapeutic benefits of wine entitled "Boire du vin pour rester en bonne sant" (Drink Wine To Stay In Good Health).
For many years, critics of Michel Montignac, comprising for the most part traditional nutritionists, have tried to undermine his credibility by claiming that his nutritional practices were not scientifically proven and perhaps even dangerous, despite the obvious effectiveness of his Method. However, since 1997, numerous scientific studies have demonstrated not only that the MONTIGNAC Method works by producing long-lasting results, but also by being an important factor in reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease.
Lastly, the MONTIGNAC Method received the blessing of the scientific community with the 1999 release of results from a scientific study, carried out over the past 12 years by Professor W. WILLETT of Harvard University. In effect, this study confirmed the validity of hypotheses that Michel Montignac formulated twelve years ago.
