The Big Picture

Weight loss market in 2004 was worth $46.3 billion, among diets, weight loss programs, medicines to lose weight and surgeries. In 2008, it is forecasted to hit $61 billion. Unfortunately, there is no reason to be happy, except for the businesses that sell medicine, programs and other weight loss products. In fact, this market growth simply means something: there are a lot of fat people in America, and that is the reason of their title: The fattest country in the world. But there is also good news, the increasing market size also means more people is becoming concerned about being fat, and want a change. Young people in America don’t want to reach the age of 35, only to find there is 70% of probability to catch diabetes. This also means more and more people want to live beyond 57 years, which is the life expectancy of an overweight man with diabetes.

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Developed by Arthur Agatston of Miami, Florida, the South Beach Diet has proven to be a successful weight loss plan since 2005. The well-known cardiologist based the South Beach Diet on the elimination of bad fats and bad carbohydrates in a weight loss plan that effectively meets the nutritional requirements for a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Agatston, as well as many other physicians, firmly believes that excesses of saturated and trans fats, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, found in various cooking oils, fried foods, dairy products, and baked goods are harmful to your health. These fats contribute to high amounts of bad cholesterol, while lessening the amount of HDL or good cholesterol that is needed by your body’s digestive system. We stress the importance of maintaining a lower glycemic index by slower absorption of sugar and starches in our South Beach Diet Review.

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We did extensive research on the Glycemic Impact Diet, created by Rick Gallop, before preparing a Glycemic Impact Diet Review. As the name of this Weight Loss Plan implies, the diet is based on glycemic index (GI) values or levels. For those of you who may not be familiar with the term, the glycemic index is a scale that ranks foods based on how they impact the levels of blood sugar in the body. We’ll explain further in our Glycemic Impact Diet Review that GI levels of less than 55 are considered low, 55-70 intermediate, and over 70 is high. Foods with low glycemic levels slowly release sugar into the blood, which provides a steady supply of energy and a more satisfied feeling. On the other hand, foods with high glycemic levels lead to blood glucose swings, the ups and downs that leave you more fatigued and craving refined carbohydrates. This may sound complicated, but the Glycemic Impact Diet is simple enough to follow.

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Introduced by nutritionist/dietician, Jennifer May in 1999, Diet Watch was one of the first of many online Weight Loss Plans available today. We found in our Diet Watch Review that there is a comprehensive food and calorie database, and a small, yet friendly support community. Diet Watch includes a nutritional calculator in its Weight Loss Plan, which calculates the calories as well as the fat intake of foods you eat and the nutritional facts on over 40 fast food and restaurant chain menus. Diet Watch offers an extensive vitamin and mineral database, providing you with information on their values and functions – nice additions to your Weight Loss Plan.

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