Leaders Chew the Fat at the "Great Nutrition Debate"
by Chandra Steele

If you wanted to know the best way to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle, wouldn't you love to hear the expert advice from leaders in the field? Well, perk up your ears.

Dr. Barry Sears, biochemist and creator of the Zone Diet; Dr. Robert Atkins, cardiologist and creator of the Atkins diet; Dr. Dean Ornish, internist and author of Eat More, Weigh Less; Dr. Denise Bruner, president of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians; and Dr. Morrison Bethea, heart specialist and co-author of Sugar Busters: Cut Sugar to Trim Fat gathered last month with other experts at the Agriculture Department's "Great Nutrition Debate," moderated by Carolyn O'Neil, a registered dietitian. The verdict: Eat less, exercise more, and cut down on sugar.

To follow those guidelines, there are countless diets, most of which agree that weight loss of about 1 to 2 pounds a week is the only safe way to lose weight and that you should exercise moderately at least three times a week for 30 minutes.

Different Diets for Different Folks

The trend is to go on high-protein, low- (or no) carbohydrate diets, such as Atkins. These diets stress that carbs increase your body's production of insulin, and when insulin is at high levels in the body, the food you eat is more easily stored as body fat. Plus, high-carb, low-fat meals are metabolized quickly, so you get hungry faster. The prescription? As much meat, cheese, eggs, and other sources of high-fat, high-protein foods as long as you avoid carbs.

The Zone Diet also focuses on insulin, but allows more carbs. The diet says the ratio of carbs, proteins, and fats should be 40-30-30, respectively, in any meal or snack.

Then there are customized "e-diets" that have cropped up in the wake of the Internet. Enter in personal information and you get a diet designed just for you.

Support System for Success

Weight Watchers holds weekly meetings with members and a leader. The focus is on portion control, according to weight, and the menu is unlimited, with nutritional guidelines reflecting the Food Guide Pyramid. The new 123 Success program focuses on realistic guidelines that discourage fad diets and encourage a 10 percent change in weight that will improve your health and self-image.

The American Dietetic Association recommends eating within the Food Guide Pyramid:

• six to 11 servings from the bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group (a typical serving is a slice of bread or a half cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta)
  
  
• three to five servings from the vegetable group (such as 1 cup of raw, leafy vegetables)
  
  
• two to four servings from the fruit group (one medium-sized fruit or 1 cup of fruit juice)
  
  
• two to three servings from the milk, yogurt, and cheese group (such as 1 cup of milk or yogurt)
  
  
• two to three servings from the meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts group (such as 2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish)
  
  
• sparing consumption of fats, oils, and sweets.

If this sounds confusing, it could be worse: You could have been the caterer at the "Great Nutrition Debate" trying to prepare meals according to every attendee's diet.

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