FitSugar

Do Popular Weight-Loss Diets Work?

Shape — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:15:48 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

There's a mountain of evidence that suggests that fad diets don't function as permanent weight-loss solutions. So why do we continue to flock toward them when we know they're not very effective? After rounding up the top 10 searched diet plans on Yahoo! and noticing that almost every single one was a fad diet (such as the Atkins Diet, or HCG Diet), we wanted to know more about why we're drawn to these popular diet plans. So we went to Holly Herrington, a Registered Dietitian at the Center for Lifestyle Medicine at the Northwestern University Medical Faculty Foundation to get her take on these plans and whether they really work for weight loss.

Find out what - if any - fad diets work after the break.

A Diet Book For Kids: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:30:53 PDT

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels, but do your tots need to be reading about it?

Paul M. Kramer thinks so. The author of several self-published books about tough issues kids face (including Bullies Beware! and Divorce Stinks!) isn't set to release his latest title until October, but it's already generating criticism. Maggie Goes on a Diet ($11) is intended to teach tots (ages 4-8) about the importance of eating a healthy diet by telling the rhyming story of pudgy Maggie who goes on a diet in order to become the star of the soccer team. According to the publisher, "Maggie has so much potential that has been hiding under her extra weight."

But is the message really the importance of a healthy diet or that being slim guarantees success? If that is the message, is it one that we should be teaching young girls?

Are You a Fan of Prepackaged Diet Plans?

Leta Shy — Wed, 11 May 2011 16:49:18 PDT

Consumer Reports recently came out with its latest diet ratings, and Jenny Craig is on top. The diet program took top billing in part because most people on it stay on it for a while; a recent study found that 92 percent of dieters on the plan stayed on it for two years.

Three of the top four, actually, also featured branded prepackaged meals. Rated just behind Jenny Craig was Slim Fast, which offers branded meal replacement bars and shakes to help you lose weight. The Zone's delivered meals also were rated highly, coming in fourth. And while third-place Weight Watchers doesn't require product-endorsed meals as part of the diet, it does sell optional frozen meals and includes meetings or online counseling for support.

The diets that came in last, however, were the low-carb Atkins program and Ornish, the diet that emphasizes whole grains, fruits, and vegetables while limiting animal products. While there are support plans available for both diets, the main tenets of both can just be followed by buying a book.

Finding a diet that works for you can no doubt be a challenge; some people may love the convenience of knowing what and how much to eat, others may scoff at eating processed or frozen foods. Are you a fan of prepackaged diet programs like Jenny Craig and Slim Fast? What do you like about them?

Guess the Fad Diet!

FitSugar — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 02:37:55 PDT

People are always on the hunt for the latest and greatest diet pill and quick-fix weight-loss program to help them shed pounds quickly. Some show results, others not so much, but in the end, we can all agree that fad diets aren't going anywhere anytime soon. How well do you know your fad diets? Let's find out and see!

Take the Quiz

Do You Care What an Actress Eats?

Mandy Harris — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:10:17 PST

You've read it a million times: an in-depth magazine piece about an actress that not only details what she said, what she wore, and what she's really like, but also what she ate during the interview, down to every savory detail. An article in The New York Times gives this phenomenon a name - documented instance of public eating, or DIPE - and wonders why exactly we're so obsessed with what (or whether) an actress eats.

The article surmises that we fixate on what our favorite celebs eat, especially if what they're eating is decadent or unhealthy, because it makes them human. I agree; hearing that Cameron Diaz can't resist a burger and fries or that Drew Barrymore chows down on mac and cheese in bed makes them, and by extension their lifestyles, seem more accessible. It does make me a little uneasy that this obsession seems to mostly involve actresses, and not their male counterparts, but it also doesn't surprise me.

Do you care about what an actress eats? What do you think the reason is behind our fixation?

Opposites Attract: Celeb Couples With Different Diet and Exercise Regimens

Leta Shy — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:00:28 PST

Many celeb twosomes like to work out together, but others know you don't have to swap sweat to show your love. Sometimes it's the hard-core adrenaline junkie who falls for the yoga fiend, or the carnivore in love with the staunch vegetarian. In honor of Valentine's Day, here are five celebrity couples who like to do their own thing when it comes to diet and exercise!

New Weight Watchers Plan Gives Fruit a Freebie Pass

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:00:49 PST

Watching your weight? Go ahead and dig into that apple! Weight Watchers announced changes to its points system Monday, and veggie lovers can rejoice: fresh fruits and most vegetables are now zero points. But before digging into that bag of prunes, know that dried fruits and some vegetables, like potatoes and corn, still have points assigned to them.

Weight Watchers says the change is based on research and aimed at helping clients make smarter, more fulfilling choices. That's just the message spokeswoman Jennifer Hudson has shared about the program, saying, "I feel empowered with what I've learned, everything from portion control to what foods will help keep me satisfied. It's a lifestyle change, not a diet."

No matter what form it comes in, calories need to be counted and reduced for weight loss, but the promotion of fresh foods is always a healthy one. Have you used - or are you currently using - Weight Watchers, and if so, what do you think of the change?

What Do You Think About This Man's Junk Food Diet?

Leta Shy — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 11:20:40 PST

Mark Haub, a researcher at Kansas State University, tried out a restricted-calorie junk foot diet for 10 weeks to see what would happen. That meant lots of Doritos, Hostess cakes, and Twinkies in place of his normal meals, plus a daily protein shake and a few vegetables. He did, however, only consume 1,800 calories a day, compared to 2,600 of healthy foods like he usually did.

The result? Mark lost 27 pounds in two months and now weighs 174 pounds. In addition, he lowered his LDL cholesterol, upped the good stuff (HDL), and reduced his triglycerides by 39 percent. His body fat percentage dropped from 33.4 to 24.9 percent.

But even though restricting his caloric intake meant Haub came out of his experiment measurably healthier, dietitians and even the researcher himself don't recommend trying out the experiment.

"There are things we can't measure," said dietitian Jackson Blatner when interviewed about the results. "How much does that affect the risk for cancer? We can't measure how diet changes affect our health." Haub added, "I'm not geared to say this is a good thing to do."

What do you think of the experiment?

Source: Flickr User Christian Cable

Do You Eat the Same Meals Daily?

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:47:00 PDT

Are you one of the millions of Americans following a diet right now? If so, you may be chowing down the same ho-hum eats day after day in hopes of dropping a pound or two . . . or 10. The Today Show nutritionist, Joy Bauer, recently doled out some advice that I thought was worth echoing.

She warns dieters not to repeat the same meal two days in a row, even if it's healthy and low-fat. The change in menu will keep one from getting too bored with their eating habits and help them stay the path and meet their weight loss goals.

Do you have a meal time routine that stays the same or do you change up your food choices every day?

Are You on a Restrictive Diet?

FitSugar — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 03:47:31 PDT

Let's talk diets for a minute, and by diets I don't mean just keepin' it healthy. I'm talking about a specific eating plan that is usually restrictive by nature. We've got the kinds that promise weight loss like the Zone, Weight Watchers, or Atkins; diets that are rooted in lifestyle changes like vegetarianism or going raw; and then there are those that are medically necessary to make sure a health issue stays in check.

For the Give It Up challenge I'm currently on a vegetarian diet, but outside of that I tend to eat whatever I want. Luckily, "eating what I want" usually means sticking to healthy whole foods. How about you?