Health Tips

calorie is a calorie. Eat too many... gain weight. Eat fewer calories... lose weight. Not so complicated, right? Wrong, for those who believe weight loss is more than a calorie equation. Everywhere you turn there are so-called new-and-improved ways to lose weight. Americans spend $33 billion annually on weight loss foods, products and services, according to the American Dietetic Association. With that amount of spending, it's no surprise there are an overwhelming number of "fad" diets and other weight-loss products on the market.

When considering a weight-loss plan, start with this proven formula: Successful weight-loss programs incorporate changes to achieve long-term healthy lifestyle behaviors, including eating practices and daily physical activity. Consult your physician and registered dietitian. They will help design a plan that is safe and meets your needs. In general, be wary of diets that offer the following:

• Fast weight loss
• A quick fix
• Claims that sound too good to be true
• Foods defined as "good" and "bad"
• Less than 1,000 calories daily
• A required vitamin/mineral supplement or food product
• Elimination of a major food group (carbohydrates, fats, proteins)
• Lack of long-term randomized scientific studies proving the diet works and is safe. A randomized study distributes participants in a deliberately random way into either the non-tested diet group or the special diet group.

The following review examines the advantages and disadvantages of several popular diet plans. Most of the diets are based on low-carbohydrate approaches. These hotly debated low-carbohydrate diets were subject of a recent study in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" that found more research is needed on the safety and efficacy of such plans. The article analyzed hundreds of published studies about low-carbohydrate plans and found a lack of scientific evidence for or against the diets. "It is also important to note that in most of the studies contained in the analysis, weight loss occurred when study participants were on diets for longer periods, and when they ate fewer calories," according to a statement by Robert H. Eckel, a physician and chair of the American Heart Association's Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism Council.

Keeping that in mind, let's look at a few popular diets, and go through some of the pros and cons, and the theory behind their potential effects.