Best Diets: As Ranked by Experts

With no shortage of diets to choose from, picking the best one can be difficult. US News and World Reports recently released their list of top diets as rated by health experts. The results may surprise you.

How did they choose?
US News consulted a panel of experts in the fields of diet, nutrition, obesity, food psychology, diabetes and heart disease and asked them what they thought of the most popular eating plans. The experts ranked each diet on a variety of factors including overall healthfulness, likelihood of helping you lose weight, how easy they are to follow and how beneficial they are for certain diseases like diabetes or heart disease.

Which diets ranked highest?
The DASH diet took the top spot for best overall diet followed by the Mediterranean Diet and the relatively new MIND diet. The MIND diet focuses on brain health and combines aspects of the Mediterranean and DASH diets. Plant-based diets scored well overall with the Flexitarian Diet taking the #4 spot overall and the Vegan Diet landing at #2 for diabetes. US News also ranked diets in specific categories with Weight Watchers ranking as the best weight loss diet while DASH took the top spot for diabetes and tied with the Ornish diet for best for heart-health.

How do you pick the one that is best for you?
Even with these expert rankings, one thing remains true – diet is not something that is one size fits all. To find what works best for you, it is important to consider your overall health, your short and long term goals and your overall lifestyle. A conversation with your doctor or dietitian can help you get started.

REFERENCES:
1. US New s and World Reports Ranking: Best Diets 2017. Available at http://health.usnews.com/best-diet. Accessed January 9, 2017.

Written by: Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RD.
March 2017

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