Weight Watchers was dubbed the best weight loss diet as well as easiest to follow and best commercial diet. The DASH diet tied with The Biggest Loser diet as the best diet plan to prevent and manage diabetes, and the Mediterranean diet won best plant-based diet. The diets were assessed by wellness experts, and then researchers converted their scores into a rating out of 5.
For the best diet overall, DASH won 4.1 stars for its nutritional completeness, safety, ability to prevent and control diabetes, and promote heart health. Next, the TLC or Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet received 4 stars as it’s a well-rounded, healthy diet, but it requires a ‘do-it-yourself’ approach as opposed to the hand-holding that some commercial diet plans provide. The Mayo Clinic Diet came in joint third place with Weight Watchers and the Mediterranean diet, as this plan got 3.9 stars its safety, nutrition, and moderate effectiveness for weight loss. Experts also said the Mediterranean Diet was highly nutritional with its emphasis on fruits, vegetables, olive oil, and other healthy foods, but it might be difficult to stick to if you have a problem giving up processed foods and sugary drinks.
For weight loss, Weight Watchers came out on top with 3.8 stars, thanks to its points system which helps people lose weight and keep it off. The Biggest Loser Diet came joint in second place with Jenny Craig and the Raw Food Diet with 3.5 stars. The Biggest Loser diet is based on the television show of the same name and is built around healthy food and regular exercise, but experts said the levels of grunt work it required may be hard to maintain for long-term weight loss. The Jenny Craig diet was claimed to be highly effective for weight loss, but a few were sceptical as to whether dieters could keep the weight off after they were weaned off the diet’s pre-packaged, portion-controlled foods. The Raw Food diet is dominated by plant-based foods that are never heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit, and experts say such a restrictive, labour-intensive diet isn’t for everyone. Volumetrics brought up the rear with 3.4 stars, and this diet is based on eating foods that are low in calories and high in volume, which got high marks for nutrition, but lower ones for length of meal preparation.