Centuries ago, survival hinged on being a great hunter-gatherer. Today, not so much. In fact, our overabundance of food has resulted in an epidemic of obesity - and a billion-dollar industry intended to help people lose weight.

"If they succeeded in helping people lose weight, they would be out of business by now," said Ronda Elsenbrook, a Kelsey-Seybold dietitian. "The fact is, there is no magic. There is no one perfect diet for every single person. There is no one way to lose weight. You have to know what works best for you."

As millions of Americans vow to lose weight in the new year, they ponder the many diets and diet books in front of them. Will they finally find the one that will result in long-term weight loss?


People who have been successful at losing weight and keeping it off have a few things in common, no matter which diet they try. For one, they hold themselves accountable.

The National Weight Control Registry, established in 1994, monitors long-term weight loss. Elsenbrook said the registry (at www.nwcr.ws) demonstrates that keeping a food record - online or in a notebook - works.

Tracking calorie intake and exercise output is a fuss-free way to safely lose 1 to 2 pounds a week. All you have to do, Elsenbrook said, is create a 500-calorie deficit per day. It can come from cutting calories, adding exercise or both.

"People think they have to do something really crazy, when they really don't," Elsenbrook said. "It's best to make a few changes you can actually live with over time."

In other words, fad diets may offer quick, short-term results, Elsenbrook said, but research has proven that fast weight loss is never permanent.

No quick fixes

How can you tell if something is a fad diet? If it promises crazy results quickly or eliminates entire food groups, it's probably a fad. Others may claim that you can lose weight while sleeping, by eating dehydrated food, by purposely ingesting parasites or by threading a feeding tube through your nose.

As evolved as we think we are, we still want a quick fix. At the same time, we justify eating junk food or offset the bad by mixing it with the good.

When, asks Dr. Garth Davis, a bariatric surgeon affiliated with Memorial Hermann Memorial City, did pizza sauce become a vegetable?

"Almost every disease we have is because of what we eat," Davis noted. "Hippocrates said, 'Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.' We lost that a long time ago. I think we need to go back to it."

One of the healthiest diets, Davis said, is plant-based, rich in fruits and vegetables. He recommends "21 Day Kick Start," a vegetarian/vegan diet endorsed by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. PCRM also has released "The New Four Food Groups," which suggests three or more servings a day of fruit, two or more servings a day of legumes, five or more servings a day of whole grains and four or more servings a day of vegetables.

Another diet Davis is fond of is DASH, "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension," a balanced diet based on the theory that certain nutrients are crucial to fighting high blood pressure. In the end, you'll lose weight, too.

Davis isn't the only one who applauds DASH.

U.S. News recently evaluated 25 diets. To earn a top rating, a diet had to be easy to follow, nutritious, safe and effective.

DASH earned the top spot, followed by Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, created by the National Institutes of Health, and the Mayo Clinic Diet.

Other issues

Dr. Mila McManus of The Woodlands Institute for Health & Wellness, said these balanced diets will work for many people, but for some, losing weight is more complicated.

"It's not just calories in, calories out," McManus said. "Some people need more calories to lose weight, not less. It's about finding the right ratios."

McManus, a former family practice physician, said she frequently discovers food intolerances in folks. "These are not true food allergies," McManus said, "but the reaction to certain foods causes inflammation in the body, which affects metabolism."

That's just one of many diagnostic tools McManus offers at the clinic. A nutrient analysis measures an individual's functional need for vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids. A metabolic rate analysis determines how many calories a person's body needs to run smoothly.

Hormonal imbalances can wreak havoc, too, especially when it involves the thyroid.

McManus' patients usually see results on an eating plan that features a tailor-made ratio of complex carbs, fat and protein.

For those planning to lose weight in 2013, the best place to start, perhaps, is to look at what you're eating now and how it makes you feel. If you start a new regimen, keep monitoring the effects of your new diet.

"When you diet, you should be able to get through your day feeling great," Elsenbrook said. "If you're feeling fatigued and unwell, you've probably cut too much of something out of your diet."