KANSAS CITY — Quick-fix diets may work for a few weeks but soon fade in effectiveness. Consumers could choose another path on their weight management journeys: Make lifestyle changes and find eating patterns that are more sustainable.
Food companies may interest those consumers by offering nutrient-dense products and promoting the attributes on packages.
Lisa Jones, a registered dietitian and contributor to US News and World Report, said she recommends plant-forward diets such as the Mediterranean diet.
"Those tend to work really well long term because they are not overly restrictive," she said.
Such diets tend to emphasize fruit and vegetables, whole grains, beans, healthy fats and good sources of protein like fish and chicken, she said.
"For long-term weight management, I think we need to move past the idea that there is one magical diet," said Thom King, chief innovations officer at Icon Foods and based in Portland, Ore. "The evidence increasingly points toward sustainable dietary patterns rather than short-term restriction. Mediterranean-style eating is probably the gold standard here: plenty of vegetables, legumes, whole foods, healthy fats, adequate protein and fiber, ...