Jan. 3, 2024 – New Year’s resolutions are in full swing, and surprisingly, losing weight and eating healthier aren’t at the very top of the list, at least according to one survey. Saving money is the top resolution, cited by 59% of respondents, with 47% focusing on eating healthier, and 35% aiming to lose weight.
Guidance for both eating healthier and losing weight is just out from U.S. News & World Report, which issued its 14th annual ranking of the best diet plans today. The Mediterranean diet, with its emphasis on overall diet quality, swept the categories, winning in Best Diets Overall, Best Diets for Diabetes, Best Heart-Healthy Diets, Easiest Diets to Follow, Best Diets for Bone and Joint Health, Best Family-Friendly Diets, and Best Diets for Healthy Eating.
Its victory wasn’t a surprise to Gretel Schueller, MA, managing editor of health at U.S. News. “Science continues to support it,” she said, touting the eating plan’s focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, olive oil, herbs, and spices. The diet can also be adapted to any cuisine, giving it a truly global appeal.
This year, 43 independent experts evaluated the diets for U.S. News, ensuring an unbiased and credible ranking. The rankings follow a system devised by the publication in partnership with The Harris Poll, and the expert panel consists of medical doctors, registered dietitians, nutritional epidemiologists, and academic weight loss researchers.
So, what are the winners in the 11 categories? After the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet and MIND diet took second and third place in the Best Diets Overall category. For weight loss, Weight Watchers, now known as WW, took first place, followed by the Mediterranean diet, and the Volumetrics diet.