Health

Which Diet Works Best to Lose Weight?

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

January 31, 2002 / 8:41 AM EST / CBS

Maybe it's no wonder more than 50% of Americans are fat. When it comes to understanding dieting, we're in the dark ages.

"Here we have people spending billions of dollars of their money and all this effort to look trim and be healthy but we still really don't know what works," says Dan Glickman, US Agriculture Secretary.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to issue a new study tomorrow finding that so far the only diet with any real science to back it up is a low calorie, low fat plan that is.rich in fruits, vegetables and grains.

That doesn't mean other popular diets don't work. They just haven't been adequately tested.

"We need to look to see what diets sustain weight loss and which diets do it in a way that won't hurt you," says Glickman.

The study was launched last year after sparks flew at a government-sponsored debate among the country's most outspoken and best selling diet gurus.

Some, like Robert Atkins, advocate a diet high in protein. Others, like Dean Ornish, say no fat is the only way to lose.

The government realized it had no evidence to determine if either plan works. Faced with a ballooning public health crisis, it has finally decided to find out

Nutritionists like Wahida Karmally are applauding the government's involvement

"We need to give the American people direction," says Karmally. "We need to tell them what's safe and what's effective."

The USDA will now spend about 10 million dollars over the next three years to test the leading popular diets. In the meantime the only proven way to lose weight remains: eat less and exercise more.