Whether you are dieting for weight loss to improve your looks or dieting to improve your health, you will be presented with competing choices. You can follow the South Beach Diet, which emphasizes eating more proteins for health, or you can follow the GI Diet and plan your meals around the glycemic index. Understanding how the two diets differ can help you make the right choice.
Medical vs. Commercial
One way that the two diets differ is in their origins. According to MayoClinic.com, the South Beach Diet is a purely commercial diet that was named after a fashionable area of Miami. The GI Diet, on the other hand, was originally designed as a medical solution for a diabetic's fluctuating blood sugar levels, according to The Diet Channel. Each food was assigned a specific glycemic value based on its impact on blood glucose levels.
Purpose of the Diet
Another key difference between the South Beach Diet and the GI Diet is the purpose of the diet. The Diet Channel notes that the primary purpose of the GI level is to stabilize blood sugar levels and promote a healthy and fully functional life. Its goal was and is well-being rather than weight loss.
On the other hand, MayoClinic.com notes that the South Beach Diet has from its very inception been advertised as a means for adherents to lose weight. In fact, developer Arthur Agatston referred to the diet as "The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss" when publishing his book about his diet.
Effectiveness for Weght Loss
MayoClinic.com notes that the South Beach Diet clams followers will lose eight to 13 pounds during the first two-week phase of the diet, and then one to two pounds each following week. According to The Diet Channel, the GI Diet makes no such weight loss claims. The effectiveness of both diets for weight loss is controversial and unproved. For the GI Diet, The Diet Channel notes that it has not been scientifically shown to affect weight loss, while MayoClinic.com notes that the claims made by the South Beach Diet promote unhealthy levels of weight loss and can't be conclusively substantiated.
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