According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, statistics show a significant increase in obesity in America since 1990. In nine states, nearly a third of the population was clinically obese in 2009. New diet plans crop up every day, but many of the old standards are still favorites.
Atkins Diet
The Atkins Diet operates on the premise that eating carbohydrates increases insulin levels. A high insulin level tells your body to store energy. By eliminating carbs from the diet, Atkins says your body will begin burning fat for energy. It made Medical News Today's list of top eight diets in 2009. ABCNews.com says that the Atkins Diet hit bookstores in 1972 and it still enjoys popular support.
The Zone
The Zone is another diet that targets insulin control, but unlike Atkins, it does not eliminate carbohydrates entirely. Meals include 40 percent carbs, 30 percent fats and 30 percent protein. The carbohydrates must be unrefined. This diet also made Medical News Today's list of top eight diets in 2009.
South Beach Diet
The South Beach Diet also centers on eating good carbs versus bad carbs and on controlling insulin. A doctor's efforts to refute the idea that low fat diets work over the long haul launched this diet in the 1990s. It also made Medical News Today's list of popular diets in 2009.
Mediterranean Diet
According to ABCNews.com, obesity in the United States averages between 27 and 34 percent, a statistic in line with CDC findings. In Italy and France, only 7 percent to 10 percent are obese. The Mediterranean Diet urges you to eat the way southern Europeans do. Olive oil is the diet's main source of fat. It made Medical News Today's list of most popular diets in 2009. ABCNews.com warns not to assume that meals at your favorite Italian restaurant meet the criteria of this diet.
Flat Belly Diet
According to the premise of the Flat Belly Diet, if you eat foods high in monounsaturated fatty acids, you'll lose weight and you'll lose it from your midsection first. ABCNews.com cites a study performed at the Yale University Prevention Research Center that showed that subjects did lose approximately a third of their belly fat after a month on this diet.
Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers is a highly successful diet franchise founded in the 1960s. In addition to its diet and exercise programs, Weight Watchers offers an extensive support network. In 2009, it was still popular, making Medical News Today's list.
Jenny Craig
Jenny Craig is another popular diet plan that made HealthNews.com's list. Like Weight Watchers, it is a nationally franchised program that requires you to buy its meals. An independent website, Free Online Diet Plans, says it works.
The Raw Food Diet
The Raw Food Diet is one of three popular diets that aims to eliminate meat and animal products. Medical News Today says that everything eaten on this diet must be plant-based and preferably organic. At a minimum, 75 percent of what you eat should be uncooked.
Vegetarian Diet
Vegetarians eat no animal-based foods other than eggs, honey and dairy products. The website Medical News Today says recent studies show that vegetarians weigh less and enjoy increased life expectancy. A vegetarian diet was among those considered the eight most popular by the website Medical News Today in 2009.
Vegan Diet
A vegan diet is a stricter version of the vegetarian diet. A vegan does not eat anything animal-based at all. This diet also made the website Medical News Today's list of the eight most popular diets in 2009.
References
- Medical News Today: What Are the Eight Most Popular Diets Today?; May 12, 2009
- ABCNews.com: The Truth About 10 Trendy New Years Diets; Dan Childs; Jan 5, 2009
- HealthNews.com: Top Ten Most Popular Weight Loss Diets; Susan Brady; Feb. 1, 2010
- FreeOnlineDietPlans.org: Jenny Craig Review
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: U.S. Obesity Trends
Member Comments