American adults have a major problem in being overweight. Nearly two-thirds of the adult population is inclined towards obesity. Unfortunately much of the money spent on diet and weight loss programs is not producing positive results.

The various weight loss programs offered need to be compared and analyzed before making a choice. Most diets seem to tell you what you should and shouldn’t eat. As though one size fitted all. People, however, are all different and what suits one person is not sure to suit another.It is therefore important to examine carefully what you would need to do to meet the requirements of the diet; to make sure that it is something you will stick with once you have started. Then having compared various diets to find the most suitable, you can pick the best program for you.

Here are some hints to consider before deciding on any particular program.

Select a diet which would suit your life style. Your working pattern, meal times and any medical restrictions need to be taken into consideration. If you are not sure which type of diet would suit you best, try a metabolic type of diet.They use a questionnaire which helps you to identify the correct proportion of carbohydrates and protein most suitable for you.

A Macrobiotic Diet is basically a vegetarian diet which has lots of fiber and is very low fat. This diet by itself can be a cure for some conditions and can help prevent some illnesses from creeping in.

A Detox Diet is designed to rid your body of toxins consumed by way of junk food and unhealthy beverages.

If you need a low calorie diet, the best choice would probably be between the Zone or the South Beach Diet. The Atkins diet could also be taken into consideration. They’re all based on a low carbohydrate intake.

Some people react adversely to proteins. If this is the case, go for an alkaline diet. This will help balance the effects of caffeine, sugar and the proteins.

After selecting your diet, staying with it is the path to success. Only a very small percentage of people who lose weight on a diet actually stick with it for the long term. This is usually because they picked a diet that did not suit them in the first case.

Premenopausal women who were assigned to follow the Atkins diet for one year lost more weight when compared to women who were assigned to follow the Zone, Ornish and LEARN diets, according to a study in the March 7 issue of JAMA.

Overweight and obesity are well-documented problems in the United States. National dietary weight loss guidelines (a diet low in calories and fat, high in carbohydrates) have been challenged, particularly by supporters of low-carbohydrate diets. However, limited evidence has been available to effectively evaluate other diets, according to background information in the article.

Besides weight loss, the participants were also measured for lipid profile (low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride levels), percentage of body fat, waist-hip ratio, fasting insulin and glucose levels, and blood pressure. Outcomes were assessed at months 0, 2, 6, and 12.

The researchers found that weight loss was greater for women in the Atkins diet group compared with the other diet groups at one year. Average 12-month weight loss was 10.4 lbs for Atkins, 3.5 lbs. for Zone, 5.7 lbs. for LEARN, and 4.8 lbs. for Ornish. At 12 months, measurements for lipids and levels of insulin, glucose and blood pressure for the Atkins group were comparable with or more favorable than the other diet groups.

The researchers found that weight loss was greater for women in the Atkins diet group compared with the other diet groups at one year. Average 12-month weight loss was 10.4 lbs for Atkins, 3.5 lbs. for Zone, 5.7 lbs. for LEARN, and 4.8 lbs. for Ornish. At 12 months, measurements for lipids and levels of insulin, glucose and blood pressure for the Atkins group were comparable with or more favorable than the other diet groups.

“Concerns about adverse metabolic effects of the Atkins diet were not substantiated within the 12-month study period.

While questions remain about long-term effects and mechanisms, these findings have important implications for clinical practice and health care policy