More Diets to Consider

Obesity is associated with a number of ailments including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, some forms of cancer, and other diseases. And some studies show a connection between obesity and periodontal disease. There are surgical and nonsurgical approaches for treating obesity. The nonsurgical approaches include pharmacotherapy, and behavior modification which includes diet, exercise and a change of lifestyle. Diets continue to get attention. One of these diets, the Mediterranean diet, has been around for some time, and one of these diets, the Nordic diet, is relatively new.

The Mediterranean diet has its origin in the Mediterranean basin in what "historians call 'the cradle of society.'" The diet's foundation consists of the following: fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts, olive oil instead of butter, herbs and spices rather than salt, red meat only a few times a month, and fish and poultry. In one study, "a five-meal modified Mediterranean-type of diet with two daily portion-controlled sweet snacks was effective for weight management in a self-help setting for overweight and grade 1 obese subjects."

The Nordic diet was created in 2004. The diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet with an emphasis on seafood, nuts and seeds, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. So the Nordic diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet, except the Nordic diet emphasizes venison and elk. The Nordic diet can improve health. One investigation concluded that "a healthy Nordic diet reduces inflammatory gene expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue compared with a control diet independently of body weight change in individuals with features of the metabolic syndrome."

Of course, there are other good, well-known diets in use today, including diets offered by Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and Nutrisystem.  The DASH diet is another good diet. In fact, the DASH diet is often touted as one of the best diets around. While any of these diets, if adhered to, can lead to weight loss and weight loss maintenance, the Mediterranean and Nordic diets offer additional options to consider.

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