Ellie Wilson is a registered dietitian with more than a decade's experience as a diet and nutrition educator. She holds a Master's in Community Health Education and advanced certification in pediatric, adolescent, and adult weight management and worksite wellness planning. Her goal: to help you make food work for you and your lifestyle.

Live Smart Fad Diets…Sigh…

Fad diets have been around a long time. They fade out, and then return in slightly different forms, never meeting their promises, always increasing confusion. I hope you'll enjoy my "tongue-in-cheek" review!

Some of the earliest that we have record of include the Vinegar and Water diet of 1820, and the Inuit meat-and-fat diet (Caribou, raw fish and whale blubber – that would do it!) Other fads were the Calories Don't Count diet (1961, the FDA filed charges), the Drinking Man's diet, (1964, declared unhealthful by Harvard), and the Sleeping Beauty diet (1970), where individuals were heavily sedated for several days. The low carbohydrate diet has popped up repeatedly since 1825, first published in Jean Brillat-Savarin's "Physiology of Taste". Now a French cheese company (no carbs!) uses his name – and we have it at Price Chopper! Fast forward to 2006 – the Maple Syrup Diet, with its special syrup-lemon drink, full of sweet and sour promises, but nothing more.

Let's make fun of another category of fad diets – diet books! Taking off on an article several year's ago in the newsletter from Center for Science in the Public Interest, some former employees of a local company helped me "create" a new diet book. Here is the result!

Welcome to the Saratoga Miracle Diet! (has to be a fancy place or amazing breakthrough)! This diet will make you slimmer in 5 minutes, without exercise or surgery! (standard unsubstantiated claims) You will lose weight, become famous and rich, and never have to clean your house again! (continued fantasy) Added bonus – eat all the chocolate you want! (ensures you will buy the book!)

Back to the real world – if you would like to lose weight, consider working with a registered dietitian. Dietitians can shortcut weight loss efforts by connecting you to products and practices that will work for you, and can also address other health concerns at the same time. Find a dietitian near you by going to www.eatright.org, and putting your zip code in the search. Your doctor may also be able to connect you. Here's to a Healthy U!