Beef Stroganoff with noodles…basil chicken with tomato sauce…tuna casserole…turkey with dumplings. These might not sound like diet foods, but they are, according to the NutriSystem diet program. The program offers separate pre-packaged food plans for women in general, men in general, diabetics, and vegetarians. And, according to medical research, dieters who use a plan such as NutriSystem lose 30 percent more weight over a period of four months than people who follow other weight loss programs.

isit the NutriSystem website at www.nutrisystem.com, and you’ll find a number of testimonials from successful dieters. For instance, there’s Janet Z, who lost 24 pounds and is quoted as saying, “My favorite thing about the NutriSystem program is the convenience of it all, the variety of food, and the fact that this Italian girl can eat pasta every night if she wants to!” (more…)

In 1993, Dr. Dean Ornish came out with a book entitled Eat More, Weigh Less. The primary focus of the book was to urge people to boost their consumption of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables while decreasing their consumption of fat. Ornish subsequently made headlines by becoming a dietary consultant to McDonald’s, helping the hamburger giant to develop the fruit and walnut salad which now appears on the restaurant’s re-vamped menu.

Ornish’s work began in 1977 when he was studying ways to combat heart attacks. He hypothesized that heart disease could be successfully treated by cutting the fat in a patient’s diet, as well as reducing the amount of unrefined carbohydrates he or she consumes. During his research, he noticed that his patients lost about 25 pounds each and managed to maintain the weight loss for five years. (more…)