Low-carb fad diets are wasting away

The low-carb diet phenomenon that peaked early last year is crashing as more Americans turn to balanced diets that emphasize fruits and vegetables, recent surveys showed. And the effects will be felt beyond the waistline, one research group said, as long as exercise is one of the ingredients added.

After climbing in late Jan­u­ary and early February to 9.1 percent, the percentage of those following carb-hating regimes such as Atkins and the South Beach Diet dwindled to 3.6 at the end of November, according to The Dieting Monitor of the research company NPD Group.

A survey from the American Institute for Cancer Research found that though 65 percent of Americans tried to lose weight last year by changing their diets, cutting out carbohydrates ranked third, behind adding more fruits and vegetables and cutting fat.

The dwindling popularity of the meat-heavy low-carb diet is not mourned by the group, which advocates a plant-rich diet for not only weight loss, but also overall wellness.

"We're seeing people eating more vegetables and fruits, eating more plant-based foods, which is not only a good idea for weight management but also a good way to decrease the risk of cancer as well as other diseases," said Melanie Polk, the director of nutrition education at the institute. "They're also seeing that what they just tried (low-carb) wasn't so great. They saw that it was difficult to stick to. They saw that it may have had side effects."

Though some of her patients tried low-carb eating and have stuck with it, physician Mary Chen said others have dropped off after complaining of constipation, abdominal pain and feeling crummy.

And though low-carb dieters might lose more at the beginning , studies show that after a year those who cut calories with a balanced diet have shed about the same number of pounds, said Dr. Chen, of University Primary Care.

And that is the problem with the quick-fix diet some people use to fulfill those New Year's resolutions, said Marsha Howard, a registered dietician at St. Joseph Hospital.

"People seem to be a little more lenient through the holidays and then want to get really strict as soon as the new year comes around," she said.

"That's part of the thing with the fad diets.... It's really strict, and at first they can do it. But then it's something you cannot comply with long-term."

Taking small steps, losing weight slowly and consistently, is the way to go, Ms. Howard said.

"It's more making changes you can stick to for life and that follow a healthy, balanced meal," she said.

But the biggest obstacles for some people are past attempts in which they lost a little weight but then never really progressed beyond that, Dr. Chen said.

Still, the American Institute for Cancer Research is seeing good trends on the horizon, said Ms. Polk, who is also a registered dietician.

NPD Group reported that for the second year in a row, the number of overweight Americans held steady at 62 percent last year after increasing every year before that.

"One of the trends for this coming year, I think that all of us at AICR are looking toward people eating a healthier diet as well as getting more physical activity and focusing more on weight management," she said. "Just try to make some small changes because over time, we see that it does make a big difference."