What Are the Most Popular Diets?

With a new diet being created seemingly every day, it's interesting to know which ones are getting the most attention. The website Medical News Today has created a list of the eight most popular diets, based on the number of articles generated on each one, their general popularity and the amount of feedback the site has received on each of them.

Consideration

The Medical News Today website does not state how general popularity was determined in creating its list. Note: The Atkins and South Beach and vegetarian/vegan listings have been compressed in this article for space reasons because of their similarity.

Atkins/South Beach

Dr. Robert C. Atkins created this diet in 1972. In it, dieters are encouraged to limit carbohydrates in an effort to control insulin levels. The more refined carbohydrates consumed, the higher insulin levels rise and the more energy will be stored in our bodies as fat. During the initial phases of the diet, carbohydrates are severely limited in favor of protein.

The South Beach Diet was published by Dr. Arthur Agatston and Nutritionist Marie Almon in 2003. It is similar to the Atkins Diet in that carbohydrates are limited to regulate insulin levels. However, the South Beach diet does not limit non-starchy vegetables as Atkins does and the program is seen as more flexible in terms of food choices than Atkins.

The Zone

The Zone Diet was created by Dr. Barry Sears in 1995. It is similar to the Atkins diet in that carbohydrates are limited. However, in the Zone diet, dieters are instructed to balance their food intake in a ratio of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 30 percent fats (excluding saturated fats). No foods are forbidden but those high in glycine (such as sweeteners) or saturated fats are discouraged.

Vegetarian and Vegan Diets

Vegetarians and vegans do not eat animal products (although some vegetarians eat eggs, dairy products and honey). Medical News Today notes that veganism is more of a philosophy than a diet: Vegans abstain for health, environmental and ethical reasons. Those who abstain from animal products generally have a lower body weight, suffer fewer illnesses and have longer life expectancies than others.

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers was founded in 1963 by New York housewife Jeanne Nidetch in order to form a weight loss support network. Today it is a worldwide corporation with support offered through weekly meetings, websites and many products such as books and frozen foods. A member joins and determines a goal based on weight and body mass index (BMI). All foods are assigned a point value and the member is allowed to eat what she wishes provided she does not exceed a daily point level.

Raw Food

A raw food diet is one in which at least 75 percent of foods are plant based and non-processed. Raw foodists can be raw vegetarians (only eggs, dairy and plant-based foods), raw vegans (no animal products), raw omnivores (both plant and animal based foods) or raw carnivores (meat products are eaten only raw).

The Mediterranean Diet

This diet mimics the foods eaten by people in southern Europe: plant-based foods, beans, nuts, cereals, seeds, olive oil, fresh fruit, cheese, yogurt, fish, poultry, small amounts of red meat and wine. About 25 to 35 percent of the diet comes from fat with no more than eight percent of total calorie intake from saturated fats.