Despite the high profile success of many low-carb dieters, a leading consumer magazine says Weight Watchers, with its varied menus and weekly support meetings, provides the best chance to lose weight and keep it off. Consumer Reports made that assessment after analyzing a number of diets and diet products.
Weight Watchers establishes a "point" system for foods, assigning dieters a specific budget of points for their daily food consumption. Though designed to promote balanced nutrition, it also gives the dieter some flexibility when choosing what to eat.
Those on the diet are encouraged to attend weekly meetings, where their progress is monitored and their morale gets a boost, if needed. Consumer Reports editors said those on the diet were more likely than those on other plans to still be on track after a year or more.
Consumer Reports also gave high marks to Slim-Fast products, saying they were both easy to prepare and provided a healthy nutrition balance. Slim-Fast produces milk shakes that are consumed in place of a meal, and a number of healthy snacks. It ranked actually outranked Weight Watchers in the category of weight loss. And, like Weight Watchers, those using it tend to stick with it.
So, where do all the low-carb diets rate in the rankings? The Atkins Diet, perhaps the best-known low carb diet, scored high for short-term weight loss, but near the bottom in terms of long term success. It also rated poorly on overall nutrition.
The Atkins Diet restricts consumption of carbohydrates, but allows dieters to consumer large amounts of fat and protein.
From the beginning many physicians criticized the Atkins Diet as unhealthy, and Consumer Reports concurs. It says Atkins allows for too much fat and restricts too many fruits, which are nutritious, but also high in carbohydrates.
The diet rankings are in the June issue of Consumer Reports.
