Diets compared: choose the best weight-loss plan for you

Donna Gould is a diet guru's dream. She'll buy anything, try anything. In the last 35 years, the Matawan, New Jersey, woman has starved herself, taken appetite suppressants and vinegar pills, followed liquid diets and single-food diets, had her ears stapled, sent away for patches and acupuncture gadgets, and tried most major weight-loss programs. Gould is also a book publicist who has read and promoted hundreds of diet titles. Yet she still struggles with her weight, now carrying 167 pounds on her 5'3" frame. "I don't eat because I'm hungry. I eat to reduce stress, to get away from something, for instant gratification," says the 55-year-old woman, who would love to weigh 145 pounds. "It's not the diet--it's the emotional aspect of eating that has made me fail so many times."

Gould isn't alone in her quest for the perfect diet. About 60 percent of American adults are overweight, according to the US Surgeon General's 2001 report, "The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity." And the American Institute for Cancer Research reports that as many as 25 percent of men and 40 percent of women are on diets at any given time. Though few will have any long-term success without permanent lifestyle changes, a diet can jump-start weight loss.

"Sometimes a diet really is necessary. Sometimes it can even be life-saving," says Jana Klauer, MD, a weight-reduction specialist in New York City who works with patients who need to lose weight quickly before surgery or because of high blood pressure. "There's a psychological benefit as well as a physical one to losing weight in the early stages," says Klauer. "People are encouraged because they see improvements in their appearances, or because they feel lighter and maybe are more comfortable exercising."

Still, Klauer, like other nutritionists, says a diet is just the first step. "To keep the weight off, you need a healthy eating style," she says.

While it's true that very few diets have a maintenance component, the trendy new South Beach Diet does. Despite the use of the word "diet"

in the title, developer Arthur Agatston, MD, doesn't consider his approach a quick fix. The diet consists of three phases, with the third phase being a life-long healthful eating plan. Nothing about the South Beach Diet is particularly difficult. No starvation rations. No calorie counting. No diet exchanges. The approach is clear, "mainly because I didn't see any scientific arguments not to make it simple, and it worked," Agatston says.

Kevin Dunn knows a thing or two about developing a life-long plan. The 45-year-old chef instructor at the New England Culinary Institute in Essex, Vermont, was told 10 years ago that he'd be lucky to see his 40th birthday. Dunn had played college tennis, but years in the culinary business had caught up with him. By the time Dunn was 35, he was diagnosed with diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. At just 5'8", he weighed 230 pounds. "People think you eat well if you're a chef, but it's just the opposite--you eat horribly; you nibble all day, and then you drive home at night and realize you haven't eaten a balanced meal," he says.

Heart disease runs in his family--Dunn's father, grandfather and great-grandfather all died at age 52--so his health scare made him sit up and take notice. Dunn started reading books by cardiologist and Vegetarian Times advisory board member Dean Ornish, MD, who promotes a no-fat or low-fat vegetarian diet, and he started a conscientious exercise routine that includes yoga and walking. But Dunn took it a step further, creating a vegan diet for his family, Today, Dunn is down to 182 pounds--he thinks 172 is ideal--and he hasn't taken medications in 3 years. "My doctor tells me I'm testimony to changing your health by changing your lifestyle."

Diet Data

With the abundance of diet plans, diet products and other assorted paraphernali availbale on the market today, weight-concious consumers face a sometimes daunting challenge. Low carb? Low fat? Calorie counting? What really works?

With that in mind, here's a look at some of the most popular current diet plans available at health food and natural products stores across the country. These basics should give you an idea of how each plan works and help get you started. Ask your retailer for more information.

Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution

* History: Introduced in 1972 with the groundbreaking book, Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution. The book was re-released in 1992 as Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution.

* Focus: Consume foods high in protein and fat and low in carbohydrates. According to the diet, limiting carbohydrate intake spurs the body into using fat as its main energy source and producing less insulin, which contributes to feelings of hunger. Most of the day's calories come from pure proteins such as eggs, butter, oil and mayonnaise.

Dr. Dean Ornish's Life Choice Diet

* History: Dean Ornish, MD, founded the California Preventive Medicine Research Institute in 1984 to treat heart disease patients. He was the first physician to show that dietary changes can reverse heart disease.