A new report in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association ranks ten diets according to nutritional quality and potential effects on heart health. The best of the ten is the Ornish diet, while the least healthy is the Atkins plan. Dieters, begin fighting.

While all of the diets emphasize fruits, veggies, and fiber, the Atkins lost points “because of its more liberal attitude toward red meat, saturated fat and trans fats.”

The study used the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), which has a maximum score of 70, and is determined by averaging each diet’s individual score for the evening gown, swimsuit, and personal interview sections of the study. Below are the diets along with their scores:

Ornish (score 64.6)

Weight Watchers high-carbohydrate (score 57.4)

New Glucose Revolution (score 57.2)

South Beach/Phase 2 (score 50.7)

Zone (score 49.8)

2005 Food Guide Pyramid (score 48.7)

Weight Watchers high-protein (score 47.3)

Atkins/100-g carbohydrate (score 46)

South Beach/Phase 3 (score 45.6)

Atkins/45-g carbohydrate (score 42.3).

“Dietary quality of popular diets varies: study” [Reuters]
abstract of published study [ADA Journal – registration required]

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