The Diet Logs

If you are, you aren’t alone. Associated Press Writer Michael Hill is reporting that “more dieters are ditching carb counts and biting into baguettes with gusto these days.”

Some are eating like French women — who never get fat, according to one best seller. Or they’re taking their cues from celebrities like Suzanne Somers.

Some are counting the minutes between meals or checking a food’s glycemic index. And old-school calorie counting continues to have its followers.

This week’s bankruptcy filing by the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins’ old company provide fresh evidence of the low-carb diet’s demise, a downward spiral that began early last year. But no single new diet has filled the void.

Here’s more:

Low-carb might be waning, but no one should write its obituary just yet. About 2 percent of adults remain on a low-carb regimen, according to NPD. And The New York Times best seller list still includes “The South Beach Diet.” That diet, which limits high-sugar carbs like white bread, has celebrity sizzle thanks to adherents like President Clinton.

Also on the Times’ best seller list is “French Women Don’t Get Fat,” in which Mireille Guiliano argues that the French are able to eat croissants and chocolate without ballooning because they take time to savor flavors and eat judiciously.

On Amazon, the No. 18 book Tuesday was “The 3-Hour Diet” from Jorge Cruise, who recommends timing meals and snacks to lose weight. Also popular is “volumetrics,” which promotes eating filling foods with fewer calories, like fruits and brown rice. Bookstore shelves are loaded with celebrity-endorsed diet plans like “Suzanne Somers’ Slim and Sexy Forever.”

Put it all together, and the advice can seem like a muddle. Nutritionists and fitness experts still stress a good way to keep weight off is to eat less and exercise more. Many point to recent government dietary guidelines, which emphasize fruits, vegetables and whole grains — and watching calories.

Nancy wrote this on August 2nd, 2005 and filed it under Atkins Diet, Diet Logs, Fad Diets, Weight Loss |