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Diet Right This Year

Say "auld lang syne" to junk food, diet drugs and expensive get-thin-quick schemes. If you're one of the millions of Americans looking to keep that New Year's resolution to slim down, look no further for the skinny on some of the best-known weight-loss plans.

The Plan: Atkins Nutritional Approach (www.atkins.com)
The Program: Omitting high-carbohydrate foods can spur weight loss. Empty calories from sugars and starches are replaced with calories from proteins, such as meats, poultry, fish, nuts and eggs. 
The Pros: The Atkins plan empowers dieters by making them aware of how many empty carbohydrates they consume on other plans, says Stuart Trager, MD, exercise and controlled-carbohydrate lifestyle consultant for Atkins Health and Medical Information Services in New York, and an orthopaedic surgeon at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. He calls it a "joint-protective way to lose weight" because the plan's emphasis is on eating rather than high-impact exercise. 
The Caveat: Although the long-term cardiovascular effects of a diet high in red meat, poultry and some kinds of fish and seafood are unknown, high amounts of these foods can cause uric acid build-up, contributing to gout, a common arthritis-related condition. And some healthful nutrient-containing carbohydrates - such as fruits, some vegetables and high-fiber, whole-grain foods - are eliminated in this diet, which also eliminates the protective effects these foods may have against certain cancers or heart disease.

The Plan: Slim-Fast (www.slim-fast.com)
The Program: Slim-Fast's weight-loss meal replacement shakes are now part of a larger menu of packaged foods - including snack bars, soups, pastas and even ice cream - intended to replace high-calorie, fast-food lunches and snacks with 200-calorie, portion-controlled options.
The Pros: Certain medications, such as prednisone, can cause weight gain, says Vivian C. Shih, MD, an attending physician at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's Arthritis Center, so reducing calorie intake by using meal-replacement foods can help offset weight gain. And if a physician calls for a temporary cessation of exercise to rest actively inflamed joints, reducing calorie intake is a sure way to prevent pounds from piling on.
The Caveat: Patients who dramatically cut calories to lose weight may be depriving themselves of necessary nutrients and increasing their risk of becoming malnourished, says Dr. Shih.

The Plan: Jenny Craig (www.jennycraig.com)
The Program: Weekly one-on-one counseling sessions at a Jenny Craig Centre result in a customized diet using the program's 70-plus pre-portioned dishes, which are a major component of the weekly menus individually designed for each dieter. 
The Pros: The recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise is designed to get participants moving, whether it is taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking farther away from a destination. The low-impact approach is friendly to those with inflamed joints and for first-time exercisers.
The Caveat: It can be hard to keep the pounds off when switching from a prepared-meals program back to everyday foods. This program is expensive compared to programs that do not require the purchase of branded meals. 

The Plan: Weight Watchers (www.weighwatchers.com)
The Program: The Weight Watchers plan assigns point values to foods and exercises, so participants learn how to control portions and make choices. Points can be "saved" for a special splurge. The plan also offers a support system of weekly meetings and Weight Watchers Online. 
The Pros: This program allows you to enjoy social events involving food, and it promotes increasing physical activity to enhance weight loss. Because no individual foods - or categories of foods - are off-limits, arthritis patients who might be susceptible to food-drug interactions can adapt what they eat to their own sensitive stomachs, says Karen Miller-Kovach, chief scientist for Weight Watchers International. 
The Caveat: The plan's design can prevent a binge because it allows dieters to indulge, but by allowing sweets and junk foods, it may not permanently eliminate bad eating habits.

The Plan: The Zone (www.zoneperfect.com)
The Program: Like the Atkins diet, the Zone limits carbohydrates, although not as severely. Meals are divided into three groups, with room for low-fat protein, plenty of vegetables and small quantities of fat.
The Pros: Barry Sears, PhD, developer of the Zone Diet, believes consuming too many carbohydrates can trigger overproduction of pro-inflammatory factors in the body, as well as insulin. A weight-loss plan designed to reduce carbohydrates, he believes, can decrease pain as well as aid in shedding pounds.
The Caveat: Dr. Shih says a number of factors - from obesity to injury - can cause inflammation, but she isn't familiar with science linking carbohydrates to joint pain. As with any restrictive diet plan, the benefits come from reducing empty calories. Losing weight takes pressure off joints, but dieters shouldn't expect a cure-all from cutting carbs.

The Plan: South Beach Diet (www.southbeachdiet.com)
The Program: The South Beach Diet encourages dieters to shun bad carbohydrates - like baked goods - but encourages plenty of whole grains, olive oils, fruits and vegetables after an initial 14-day, no-carb phase. Emphasis is on low-fat proteins. In addition to three meals a day, the plan includes mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. Most alcohol is verboten, but wine is allowed after the first two weeks.
The Pros: The focus is on healthy fats, says Heidi Reichenberger, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Choosing fish (high in inflammation-fighting omega-3s) and skinless chicken over sausage, bacon and steaks is a "pro" in any dietician's book for the cardiovascular benefits alone. 
The Caveat: "Although it's only for a short time, it really isn't necessary to eliminate carbs from the diet," Reichenberger says. "Certainly, choosing healthy carbs and controlling the amount is important, but to cut them completely could result in constipation and bad breath."

Here's To Your Health

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