Many people are understandably anxious to lose weight. Trimming away excess pounds helps you stay healthy, feel energetic, and look your best. But different diets can have very different effects on health. Some diets have important advantages, while others present certain risks.

For example, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets have been an on-and-off fad for several years but are now known to cause significant calcium losses and other health problems. Very-low-calorie diets can slow your metabolism, making it hard to keep the pounds from coming back later. In contrast, low-fat, vegan diets bring healthy weight loss and other major health benefits, from reduced cholesterol levels to lower risk of high blood pressure and diabetes.

So, how are you to know what sort of diet approach is best? Just follow these links:

• Vegan Diets
• The Protein Myth (e.g., The Zone, Sugar Busters, etc.)
• Low-Carb, High-Protein Diets (e.g., the Atkins Diet)
• How Do Popular Diet Books Rate?

February 18, 2003