Keep Your Diabetes Under Control With a Diabetic Diet

What exactly is a diabetic diet? I am not diabetic, but I know people who are. They often talk about their dietary restrictions, but I have honestly never stopped to ask what exactly they are trying to accomplish with a diabetic diet. I looked into it and found that there are a number of goals for and benefits to a diabetic diet.

First of all, one of the main goals for a diabetic diet is to lower your weight and maintain it. In addition, the diet is designed to help maintain regular glucose levels in your body. Diabetes prevents your body from processing glucose the way it should, so a diabetic diet has to, to some degree, perform that maintenance. In addition, the hope is that a diabetic diet will also help you to maintain healthy lipid levels and keep your blood pressure under control.

Second, a diabetic diet will vary some from person to person. The benefits and assistance to your body from the diabetic diet will depend on what type of diabetes you are trying to treat. Each type has its own challenges and level of restriction on the diet. The important thing to remember, though, is that studies show the effectiveness of a diabetic diet is dependent, not so much on the diet itself, but on how well the patient follows the diet. Given that information, there are still some specifics to keep in mind.

If, for example, you have type 2 diabetes, your dietary restrictions may not be quite as high. For many of those with type 2, their diabetic diet is really just a simple heart healthy diet. You will likely be advised to avoid excessive fat and to maintain a high fiber diet among other things, but it will be a fairly easy diet to stay with.

If you have type 1 diabetes, though, you will likely have more restrictions. For those with type 1, it will likely be a more individualized diabetic diet. Type 1 is individualized and so after tests are done and medications are prescribed, your diabetic diet will likely be custom designed by your physician or a nutritionist.

A diabetic diet, it turns out, is not just one thing. There area number of dietary methods available to doctors and nutritionists that can help control blood sugar levels for those with diabetes. If one works for you, then there is no reason for you to switch unless something changes. Regulating diabetes is individual, so if you find you are diabetic it is important to talk to your physician about your individual diabetic diet and stick with it.

So what is a diabetic diet? Well, it turns out that there is not one answer. Instead, a diabetic diet is whatever works to regular the blood sugar of the specific patient. Each one is different, but the most important thing to know about a diabetic diet [http://www.dixiejournal.com/category/health-reviews] is that it only works if you stick with it and stay focused on your health.

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Fad Diets - Popular Ways to Drop Weight Fast

Fad diets are an American tradition. What was all the rage a few months ago is dropped in the proverbial blink of an eye for the latest and greatest way to "easy" and "fast" weightloss. These fads may be a great way to lose about five or ten pounds quickly as an emergency measure, but they can never be a lifetime plan due their extremely restrictive nature, and lack of balance.

These types of diets are only good for the short term, and in fact, may make you fatter once you're off of the plan since they often lead to "rebound over-eating" and yo yo dieting, both of which harm your metabolism by constantly leaving it in a state of confusion. If you are thinking of trying one of these fads, you may want to also try a quality, natural appetite suppressant since most of these diets will leave you in a constant state of hunger.

We'll examine this year's fad diets. Believe it or not, some of these have actually been circulating for a while and are still a popular diet for quick weight loss - mostly via word of mouth. These diets have acquired somewhat of a mythology about them over time. A person you know probably knows someone or heard stories of someone who lost a drastic amount of weight on them.

Popular Fad Diets, Summarized

1.) Cabbage Soup Diet

What It Is: You make a cabbage soup concoction consisting of broth, lots of cabbage, onions, celery and a few other acceptable veggies. You consume nothing but this soup for days, or for as long as you can stand it, and get to gradually add in very small amounts of normal food.

Why It's Hard: You may never want to eat soup or look at another carrot or onion again after this diet. Your hunger is never satisfied, because largely what you are consuming is water based, and that is why you can drop weight so quickly - you are not eating anything of real substance. Your stomach is in knots with gas pain and hunger. Bottom line is, this diet is very tough to stick to. When you first try the soup, you think "Hmm, not bad", but you will soon change your mind. The reward is very rapid weight loss. The problem is, as with all other fad diets, it comes back on just as rapidly if not quicker than it came off when the diet is over. Doctors actually prescribe this diet for patients who need to lose weight quickly for surgery.

2.) The Famous Atkins Diet

What It Is: This is basically "The all you can eat - as long as it's pure protein diet". This diet gained a huge following almost immediately after Dr. Atkins released the Atkins Diet book to publication, and experienced another resurgence in about 2001 as a quick and easy way to melt the pounds off quickly without sacrificing too much. It attracted quite a bit of criticism due its extreme and unbalanced nature, as well as a concentration on high fat and cholesterol foods, with little fiber and sometimes little nutritional value.

The foods it centers around are cheese, bacon, chicken, eggs, turkey, beef and snacks like pork rinds. Although the Atkins diet is extreme in nature, it paved the way for more balanced, heart and health friendly diets such as The Zone Diet and the South Beach Diet (two of my favorites), which preach more of a moderation mentality, balance, and a focus on more healthy, whole and unprocessed foods and a somewhat restricted calorie plan that doesn't leave you hungry.

Why It's Hard: Your body goes into a state of ketosis due to a lack of carbs and sugars. You get bad breath. You may feel malnourished and weak - a sign of ketosis. The lack of fiber often leads to constipation. When you get hungry, you get HUNGRY! You may never want to look at another egg again in your life, and feel nauseous at the sight of meat.

3.) The All You Can Eat for Seven Days Diet

What It Is: You get to choose from one food group each of the seven days. One day may be all chicken, one may be all fruit, and one may be all vegetables, with minimal restrictions on which ones are not allowed. You can eat as much as you want as long as it is within that one food group for each assigned day.

Why It's Hard: Try eating one food group all day. It's very hard. This diet is almost guaranteed to cause a grumbling belly, since no one food can usually satiate anyone's appetite or sustain a feeling of fullness for any length of time. Variety is the spice of life, and this applies two-fold to diet boredom and how it leads ot overeating and binges. Once you go off of this diet, you will almost surely gain the weight back, and fast. The problem with diets like this is that they trigger an overeating response due to severe deprivation.

4.) The Snickers Diet

What It Is: You get to eat only Snickers candy bars and may drink coffee or water only with this fad diet. I'm actually not sure how many Snickers bars are allowed per day, but do know someone that has a friend who lost over thirty pounds following this diet, but sacrificed her health, her skin and mental well being in the process.

Why It's Hard: The first and most obvious reason this diet is unhealthy is that it is based on a calorie dense, high sugar content food, which leads to: high blood sugar, hunger, terrible skin problems, terrible breath, constipation, immune breakdown, unhealthy heart, loss of mental focus and clarity.

There are, of course, many other fad diets that have come and gone, but these are some of the more extreme and interesting ones. While fad diets are tempting to try as a quick fix for drastic and fast weight loss, they should be regarded with caution. Most fad diets lead to larger subsequent weight gains because they are based on deprivation. So, as long as you know what you're getting going into it, and don't expect to use it as a long term solution to losing weight or maintaining weight loss, then you'll be prepared for the outcome.

Visit Diet Reviews for more information on different diet methods, supplements and technology. Danna Schneider is the founder of Dieting Magazine Online Resource for Weightloss and Dieting.

Dash Diet: The No-Pain Diet

A group of researchers from 5 major medical centers found

that eating a specific diet rich in nutrient-dense fruits

and vegetables, whole grains and low fat dairy can be a

powerful tool in lowering blood pressure.

The DASH DIET( Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) was

found in 1996 to lower blood pressure about the same as a

blood pressure medication would, and since that time has

quickly become one of the most often prescribed diets in

clinical practice today.

The DASH Diet is recommended by the American Heart

Association, in the USDA's 2005 Dietary Guidelines for

Americans, and is featured in the US High Blood Pressure

Guidelines.

The DASH DIET Study 459 people were chosen to participate in the DASH DIET Study. They were randomly assigned to one of three different types:

·The "typical American diet"

·A diet with more fruits and vegetables, but otherwise

similar to the typical American diet

·The "DASH diet" - rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat

dairy products; moderate in fish, poultry, and nuts; and

reduced in red meat, sweets, and sugar-sweetened drinks.

To assure they weren't doing anything else that might lower

their blood pressure, participants were asked not to make

any major changes in the physical activity levels during the

study.

Participants were weighed frequently to make sure their

weight stayed constant; if someone gained or lost weight,

they were given a bit less or more food to eat to get their

weight back to what it was.

Salt/sodium intake was the same in all three diets -

slightly lower than the U.S. average, but still higher than

what most guidelines recommended.

The Results

Those who ate the typical American diet did not

see a change in their blood pressure.

Those on the fruit and vegetable diet experienced a

significant lowering of their systolic blood pressure - The

upper number, which is a measurement of blood pressure in

the arteries when the heart contracts to pump out blood -

but little change in their diastolic pressure.

But the men and women who ate the DASH DIET for eight weeks experienced a significant drop in both their systolic and

diastolic blood pressure readings. Changes occurred within a

week of starting the DASH diet, stabilized within two weeks,

and stayed lowered for the remainder of the eight weeks.

On average, blood pressure fell 5.5 mmHg (systolic) and 3.0

mmHg (diastolic) among all participants (including both

those with normal blood pressure and those with

hypertension).

In participants with high blood pressure, blood pressure

dropped an average of 11.4 mmHg (systolic) and 5.5 mmHg

(diastolic).

These improvements in blood pressure are about the same as

what can be achieved with a single antihypertensive

medication.

There were positive health outcomes of the DASH diet beyond

lowering high blood pressure.

Most importantly, perhaps, the DASH diet lowered the study

participants'cholesterol levels.

When blood cholesterol is high, cholesterol and other fatty

substances collect on the walls of your blood vessels and in

time restrict or block the flow of blood to your heart.

High cholesterol, which is generally caused by a diet high

in saturated fats, is a major risk factor for heart disease.

The DASH diet is low in total and saturated fat.

People who ate the diet during the study, dropped their

cholesterol 14 points. The "bad" cholesterol (LDL) fell 11

points. The level of good cholesterol (HDL) also fell by 3.7

points (this type of drop in HDL is seen when people reduce

their overall fat intake). Combining all the effects

(changes in blood pressure, LDL, and HDL), there was an

important improvement in overall cardiac risk with the DASH

DIET.

A later study was done at the Boston University Medical

Center, which offered the DASH Diet in an online form to

employees of a large US company.

Over 4,000 people enrolled in the DASH DIET program.

They received weekly email reminders to log in to the site

for information on topics such as weight loss, exercise,

reading food labels, grocery shopping and more.

They also were encouraged to track the changes they made to their diet, exercise, weight and blood pressure online.

After one year in the DASH DIET program, study participants

had lost weight and lowered their blood pressure

significantly.

They started eating more fruits and vegetables and moved

from higher fat dairy products to lower fat versions.

After the success of the DASH DIET program, the researchers

decided to offer the program to the general population

online at DASH DIET

The reason the researchers think that the DASH DIET is

perfect for all Americans is that it doesn't take a whole

lot of learning.

It deals with real foods that are easily found in every

grocery store across America, and allows dieters to choose

how they plan to meet their food servings goals with foods

that they enjoy.

Tom Moore, MD is the founder of the Dash For Health program and the author of the best-selling book: THE DASH DIET FOR HYPERTENSION. Find out how you too can lose weight painlessly by claiming your free DASH eating profile at: DASH DIET

Why the Mediterranean Diet is Good for Women

Six Reasons the Mediterranean Diet Promotes Good Health

Over the course of the past forty years, women the world over have become particularly concerned about their diets. They have become concerned about diet related issues for two primary reasons:

1. Women have expressed concern over how a particular diet plan effects their appearances

2. Women have expressed concern over how a particular dies plan effects their health

As a result, a growing number of women have found themselves attracted to the Mediterranean diet. When it comes to the Mediterranean diet, there are six primary reasons why women find themselves strongly attracted to the diet regimen.

3. Weight Loss and Healthy Weight Maintenance

In many countries around the world, a record number of women are being classified as overweight and even obese. As a result, a growing number of women find themselves seeking effective and healthy dieting regimens to lower their weight to appropriate levels -- for both cosmetic as well as health reasons.

The Mediterranean diet has proven itself to be very effective at providing a means through which women can lose weight in a healthy manner. Additionally, the Mediterranean diet has proven incredibly effective as being a solid path a woman can take to maintain a generally ideal and healthy weight.

4. Anti-oxidants and Aging

The Mediterranean diet regimen is flush with foods that are rich in anti-oxidants. This includes leafy, dark green vegetables as well as certain fish that are common features in this dietary scheme.

Anti-oxidants have been proven to slow the appearance of aging in women. Additionally, anti-oxidants have been demonstrated as being effective at preventing organ and skin deterioration in women. The consumption of foods that are high in anti-oxidants has been proven to enhance longevity in both women and men.

5.Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is an ailment in which a person ends up afflicted with both Type Two diabetes and hypertension. Most experts believe that diet can play a significant role in reducing the likelihood of metabolic syndrome in men and women who are prone to the ailment.

Without exception, medical experts who have studied the cause and effect of metabolic syndrome universally have agreed that the Mediterranean diet is the perfect dietary scheme to prevent and control metabolic syndrome.

6. Heart Disease

Multiple studies in a number of different countries have concluded that the adoption of the Mediterranean diet lowers the incidence of heart disease in women (and men). Indeed, an analysis of the incidence of heart disease in the Mediterranean nations suggests that the use of the Mediterranean diet can lower the incidence of heart disease in women from twenty-five to forty percent.

7. Hypertension

Recent scientific studies have examined the rising incidence of hypertension amongst women. Many researchers attribute the increase in hypertension amongst women in recent years to a number of changes that have occurred in their lives, including:

-- a greater number of women entering the workforce

-- a growing number of women being forced to juggle the raising of children with a full time career

-- the food and beverage choices that women are making in the 21st century

Research studies in a dozen different countries over the course of the past twenty years have suggested that the Mediterranean diet is effective at lowering the incidence of hypertension in men and women. Because the Mediterranean diet is high if fruit, vegetables and whole grains and because the diet is low in saturated fats, most nutritionists and other experts believe that the dietary scheme works to lower hypertension in both men and women.

The Mediterranean diet combined with regular exercise has been demonstrated to have a marked effect on reducing the incidence of hypertension amongst middle aged women.

8. Breast Cancer

Perhaps the most important "ingredient" of the Mediterranean diet is olive oil. Save for fresh fruits and vegetables (in most instances) olive oil universally is present in the Mediterranean diet. As a result, on the surface, the diet scheme appears to be high in fat. Indeed, upwards to thirty percent of the caloric intake of the Mediterranean diet does come fat. What is important to keep in mind is that nearly 100% of the fat in the Mediterranean diet is unsaturated and comes directly from olive oil. In other words, the fat in the Mediterranean diet essentially is healthy. Olive oil, and the fat contained in the product, simply does not trigger the negative consequences that flow from saturated fats, from animal fats.

In addition, there have been several important scientific studies undertaken in the past decade that have demonstrated that a diet high in olive oil works to lower the risk of breast cancer in women. Thus, one of the beneficial results of adopting the Mediterranean diet is a lowering of the risk for breast cancer.

Site Owner & Publisher Ray Darken - You can gain much more detail from Ray's sites along with other relevant information at The Mediterranean Diet or http://www.safe-and-easy-weightloss.com/wordpress/

Five Reasons Why the Mediterranean Diet is a Healthy Choice in the 21st Century

If you are a person who has been on the hunt for a solid diet plan, you may feel overwhelmed much of the time. In the 21st century it is nearly impossible for a person to turn on a television set or open a newspaper without being bombarded with advertisements for a variety of different diet plans and products.

With the tremendous array of diet plans, programs, supplements and aids on the market, it can seem nearly impossible to select a diet plan that can and will best meet your needs now and into the future. More importantly, it can be hard to discern if one or another of these various diet schemes actually is a healthy course to pursue. In many instances, fad diets really are not based on the fundamentals of healthy living.

As you go forward considering what type of diet plan or regimen will best serve your interests and improve your health into the future, you will want to take a look at the benefits that can be had through the Mediterranean diet.

While there are multiple reasons why the Mediterranean diet is a healthy approach, there are five primary reasons why the Mediterranean diet is a good choice.

1. The Benefits of Fruits, Vegetable, Fiber and Whole Grains

A major component of the Mediterranean diet includes the regular consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Medical experts and nutritionists universally agree that a person should eat between five and six servings of fresh fruits and vegetables (or steamed items) on a daily basis.

People who adhere to the Mediterranean diet actually end up eating more than the minimum recommended allowance of fruits and vegetables. As a result, nutritionists in different parts of the world have taken to recommending a Mediterranean based diet regimen to their clients. Similarly, doctors who consult with their patients about healthy eating practices oftentimes find themselves recommending the Mediterranean diet in this day and age.

Beyond fruits and vegetables, the Mediterranean diet includes healthy amounts of dietary fiber and whole grains. Fiber and whole grains have proven effective in lowering the incidence of heart disease and some types of cancer.

2. The Benefits of Olive Oil -- Avoiding Saturated Fat

Some people have a fundamental misperception about the Mediterranean diet. These people have heard that the Mediterranean diet is high in fat. On some level, there is some truth in the conception that the Mediterranean diet is higher in fat than are some other dieting programs. A person following the Mediterranean diet does take in about thirty percent of his or her daily calories from fat. (Most diets recommended the intake of calories from fat at the rate of about thirteen to fifteen percent per day. However, these diets are contemplating the ingesting of animal fat.)

The vast majority of fat that a person on the Mediterranean diet consumes comes from olive oil. In other words, the fat found in the Mediterranean diet is not the dangerous saturated fat that can cause disease, obesity and other health concerns. In fact, research has demonstrated that there are a number of solid benefits to consuming olive oil, including a reduction of the risk of the incidence of breast cancer in women.

3. Dairy in Moderation

While the consumption of low or non-fat dairy products in moderation can be beneficial in some instances, many people the world over rely on heavy creams, eggs and other fat filled dairy products in their daily diets. The Mediterranean diet is low in dairy. Indeed, any dairy products that actually are included within the diet regimen is low fat. A person is considered an extremely heavy egg eater if he or she consumes four eggs in a week.

4. Red Meat in Moderation

Very little red meat is included within the Mediterranean diet. When it comes to meat items, this diet relies on moderate amounts of lean poultry and fresh fish. As a result, people who follow the Mediterranean diet plan have lower levels of "bad" cholesterol and higher levels of "good: cholesterol.

In addition, because of the inclusion of lean, fresh fish in the diet, adherents to the Mediterranean diet enjoy the anti-oxidant benefits that are found in certain fish oils and products.

5. A Well Balanced Dieting Scheme

In the final analysis, the Mediterranean diet is gaining acclaim from experts and adherents the world over because it is a balanced dieting program. Study after study demonstrate that a balanced diet that is low in fat and that includes fruits, vegetable, whole grains and lean meat works to ensure total health and wellness.

Conclusion

The Mediterranean diet is a comprehensive regimen for healthy living. By following the strictures of the Mediterranean diet, a person can enjoy improved wellness, a reduction of the risk of certain diseases and, in many instances, a longer life.

Site Owner & Publisher Ray Darken - You can gain much more detail from Ray's sites along with other relevant information at The Mediterranean Diet or http://www.safe-and-easy-weightloss.com/wordpress/

Diets Galore

There are so many diets it is hard to keep up. One day you hear about one that sounds good, and the next day another is making the news, what do you do? Which of the many diets is best?

What I do is examine them in light of Natural Hygiene. You are most likely wondering what in the world is Natural Hygiene? It is a philosophy of achieving and maintaining your maximum health potential in accord with human physiology (the way we were designed).

Our bodies are not all unique, as many will tell you. Each of us has the same basic structure, the same organs, the same nervous system, all parts functioning in the same way. The only differences are in how we react to our environment, and our appearance. Where one may be strong, another may be weak. Where one may be prone to arthritis, another may have a weaker heart, and another may be prone to cancer.

As an example, if you and I eat the same toxic substance, you may vomit, I may have diarrhea. Or if you and I both improve our diets in the same manor, my body may start dumping toxins, in an unpleasant manor, while yours may just feel energized.

As I said above, there are many very popular diets and lifestyle plans. They all can be evaluated by how well they align to the principals of Natural Hygiene, as follows.

Natural Hygiene shows us: Our bodies should be nourished primarily by raw plant foods, such as fruits and vegetables with some nuts and seeds. Animal products should not be used unless that is all you can get. If they are used they should be used in proper combinations and in small quantities, under 4 oz. per day. For proper nourishment we need adequate sunshine, rest, sleep, exercise, creative work, fresh clean air, and pure water.

So what does your diet plan tell you? Which ones are most in line with Natural Hygiene? Which ones are the furthest out of line?

The Hallelujah diet and the Genesis 1:29 diet are most in line with Natural Hygiene. They are both basically branded versions of Natural Hygiene. The Genesis 1:29 diet is basically the diet part of Natural Hygiene, with minor differences.

The raw food and living food diets are very close. However some of their followers do go off on tangents that move away from Natural Hygiene.

A mid range would include the Makers Diet and the South Beach diet. Both include things not recommended by teachers of Natural Hygiene. Both include too much cooked food. Many people who have gotten well on Natural Hygiene, then switch to these diets, have their diseases return, some have even died.

The SAD (Standard American Diet) is a proven disease maker. Americans are the best fed and sikest people in the world. If our health system was working for us we should be the healthiest country in the world. The SAD is close to the worst diet in the world.

On the far end would be the Atkins diet. Of all the diets out there I would rank the Atkins diet the most dangerous. Many thousands of people have been permanently harmed or killed by the Atkins diet. My uncle got my father on the Atkins diet, though I tried to tell him how dangerous it was. Both my father and my uncle died of a heart attack. Shortly after they died, Dr, Atkins died of a heart attack. The Atkins diet may suppress some diseases, but at what cost? Increased risk of Cancer and heart attack, are the main problems with this diet.

The Hallelujah diet has a great support system set up around the world, with Health Ministers in every US state, and most countries.

Natural Hygiene is the oldest system in modern times. Its roots started over 200 years ago. It was started by medical doctors who tired of watching their patients suffer and die in spite of their best efforts.

It was growing in popularity until the medical approach to health became more popular in the late 1800's Especially after the Civil war. In the early 1900's the germ theory of disease made it possible for people to blame something they could not see for their health problems.

More and more people are becoming dissatisfied with the way the medical mindset is destroying lives. They are seeing the flaws in the system. With the information age people are now able to learn the truth that disease is a product of what we do and eat. I think that is why there are so many diets out there.

So now people all over the world are searching for the best diet plan to latch onto. Natural Hygiene is the best alternative. It is the benchmark for all others diets to be measured by.

No matter what the advertisers say, you cannot be poisoned into health. All drugs are poison. That is why they list so many harmful side effects.

Why take a chance? Your health is at stake. Learn all you can about Natural Hygiene.

Make wise decisions based on facts, not theories. Don't make decisions based solely on what tastes good to you. Don't let someone scare you into a treatment plan. Disease is the result of living outside of our design. By returning to our design specifications disease will simply go away.

If someone tells you that you have such and such disease, it usually means that they have been able to name a symptom or symptom complex. Symptoms do not cause themselves. I repeat, Symptoms do not cause themselves.! It is extremely important that you grasp this fact. Symptoms are only the outward evidence of a body out of balance.

You have to dig much deeper than the symptoms that are visible. You must remove the underlying cause. Remember, only your body can heal. Your body is self-healing. When you remove cause, and give your body the tools it needs, it will heal itself. That is the only sane approach to getting well and staying well.

When you dig deep enough you will find that what you eat, the air you breathe, or some other thing that goes into your body is the ultimate cause of disease. If the diet plan you chose is not giving your body the tools it needs, and minimizing your intake of toxins, it is failing you.

To learn more about diets, especially Natural Hygiene, the Health Seekers Yearbook is the best place to start.

To learn more about diets, especially Natural Hygiene, the Health Seekers Yearbook is the best place to start. [http://www.arthritis-back-knee-pain-free-health-restored.com/books.html]

Charles Snyder is a Health Minister. He teaches on the subjects of Natural Hygiene and the Hallelujah diet. He can be contacted through his website. He is the author of Six Months to Live a fiction novel, and Health by Design a online course. [http://www.arthritis-back-knee-pain-free-health-restored.com/books.html]

Weight Loss Diets: How to Make Them Work

As we all know, weight loss diets are big business. And looking at the statistics, it's easy to see why. Currently, an estimated 58 million American adults are overweight (BMI 25+), of whom an estimated 40 million are obese (BMI 30+), 9.6 million are seriously obese and 6 million suffer from super-obesity (BMI 40+). Worldwide statistics on overweight are equally alarming, as reflected in the new word "globesity". In China, the number of overweight people has risen from less than 10 percent to 15 percent in just three years. In Brazil and Colombia, the figure of overweight is about 40 percent - comparable with several European countries. Even sub-Saharan Africa is seeing an increase in obesity, especially among urban women. In all regions, obesity appears to escalate as income increases. And the higher the incidence of obesity, the higher the incidence of weight-related disease, including: type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders like insulin resistance, and cancers of the breast and colon.

CONVENTIONAL DIET METHODS

Both the US Surgeon General and the Dietary Guidelines For Americans (2005) issued by the US Dept of Agriculture emphasise the need for calorie control and increased physical exercise to reduce the overweight epidemic, but evidence suggests that conventional diet methods do not provide significant weight reduction, due to poor compliance. Surveys show that annual weight loss resulting from convention diet and exercise programs averages less than 8 pounds per annum, while in a 4-year follow-up study of programs incorporating the use of obesity drugs, behavior modification, diet and exercise, the final average weight loss was 3 pounds. This apparent failure of conventional weight loss methods is often contrasted with the 30-40 percent average weight loss following bariatric surgery.

FOOD COMPOSITION OF DIETS

Fashion sells products, and weight loss diets are no exception. First we had low-fat diets, which were promoted as heart-friendly ways of reducing weight. Unfortunately, this message was interpreted by consumers as "all fats are bad, all carbs are good", and led to an unhealthy overconsumption of refined carbs. With the relaunch of Dr Atkins "New Diet Revolution", the fashion penduluum swung the other way. Now carbs were the enemy, not fat.

After Atkins came the South Beach Diet, which offered us a more moderate low-carb approach. Now, it is GI diets - based on foods with a lower glycemic response - that are high fashion and, being scientifically more beneficial, are likely to remain so for some time. However, while the food composition of diets may change, the basic law of weight loss remains unaltered: calorie expenditure must exceed calorie intake. To this extent, provided a diet is calorie-controlled and includes foods from all food groups, the exact composition of foods remains no more than a matter of personal taste.

GENERAL EATING AND EXERCISE HABITS

When assessing the effectiveness of conventional dieting methods, due regard must be paid to general eating habits. In America at least, these do not appear to be helpful. Despite the mounting evidence of weight-related ill-health, social eating habits continue to develop in unhealthy directions. Value-for-money "supersizing" continues to attract customers, while fast-food sales continue to rise. And the continuing demand for "instant" food only inspires the food industry to produce more and more refined food options bulging with nutritional deficiency and calorie-overload. Is it any wonder that levels of diet-compliance among average dieters is so low? Meantime, an estimated 78 percent of Americans do not meet basic activity level recommendations, while 25 percent are completely sedentary.

IS SUPPORT THE ANSWER?

If conventional diet programs remain less than perfect ways of tackling overweight in the face of engrained eating habits, it would be misleading to write them off completely. Not only does research data from the US National Weight Control Registry demonstrate that long term weight reduction is perfectly achievable, a number of diet programs, especially medically-supervised clinic-based programs, are consistently effective. What distinguishes these diets is the level of counseling support which subjects receive. Nowadays, this support can be provided in various ways, including: mandatory group meetings, one-on-one sessions, online forums or chat-rooms. And it seems to work. For example, according to recent studies, the average weight reduction for a 10-12 week clinic-based obesity program involving meal-replacement diets, exercise and counseling support is 5.5 pounds.

FINDING MORE SUPPORT

If getting proper support is one way of improving conventional diets, dieters need to rethink their approach. Instead of focusing attention on finding the optimal eating-plan, they need to look for programs offering optimal support. Weight Watchers is an obvious choice but diets organised around the workplace or other social groupings may also provide natural help. Online programs with forum support might also be considered. In any event, there is no substitute for a reliable dieting partner.

ADOPTING HEALTHY HABITS

Given the fact that losing as little as 7-10 percent of body weight can improve many of the problems linked to being overweight, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, some obesity experts advocate a less formal approach to calorie control. They recommend adopting certain healthy habits rather than following a specific diet. An example might be a 200-calorie-a-day reduction achievable by taking a moderate 30 minute walk, and switching from (say) whole milk to skimmed milk. This saves 73,000 calories a year - the equivalent of 20 pounds of body fat. The commercial response to this approach is already visible in programs such as the "Three Hour Diet", which recommends regular eating to maintain a regular rate of calorie burning. Expect to see more weight loss programs like this, which emphasise specific habits.

CONCLUSION

Current levels of overweight and obesity require urgent attention. To be effective, conventional diet programs need to provide optimal support rather than optimal food composition, in order to facilitate diet compliance. For people who are unable or unwilling to follow a specific weight loss plan, making small but specific changes may be sufficient to achieve significant improvements in health.

Linda Smyth B.Sc., RD, aged 51, is a qualified dietitian and nutritional consultant. She is part of the editorial team at http://www.diet-i.com which provides a range of information about diet, nutrition and weight loss diets to more than 5 million visitors per year.

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