| ""They keep me employed," says Giancoli, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, which advocates proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. It also reviews popular diets (" "As a debunker of diet myths, Giancoli's workload doesn't figure to poop out anytime soon." ""If all these diets worked long term, we wouldn't have an obesity problem," she says. "That magic pill, that magic diet doesn't exist."" "Some of the classics, such as the cigarette diet and the drinking man's diet, pandered to our vices. Others, such as the caveman diet and Sleeping Beauty diet, piqued our curiosity." "She acknowledges that most fad diets, such as Atkins, The Zone and South Beach, can help us lose weight in the short term. But, as you probably guessed, we tire of eating the same foods and regress to poor choices, monster portions." "Giancoli says the majority of fad diets are based on three staples -- fat, protein and carbohydrates." ""They're the only nutrients that provide energy, that provide calories. We just keep reincarnating them into diets. There's only so much you can do with them," she says." "On the subject of reincarnation, the American Dietetic Association recognized an Atkins-like low-carb diet as early as 1825 and another in 1863. Other versions followed." "Two recent diets that irk Giancoli are "Eat Right for Your Type" and the raw foods diet. The first, she says, bases food choices on your blood type and the second theorizes that cooking kills enzymes in food and destroys nutrients." ""We don't need enzymes from food; we make our own," says Giancoli. "Science isn't behind the diet. A combination of raw and cooked foods is the better way to go."" ""First of all, there's more than four blood types. There's no science behind the diet. We just can't be divided up that way."" "Giancoli believes the message about proper, nutritious eating habits is sinking in, despite the outbreak of obesity." ""The lifestyle fix is becoming more popular; they're talking about it now," she says. "It's a slow process. Knowledge is not behavior, but the message is starting to get out."" "Caveman diet: Dine like Fred and Wilma Flintstone. A Paleolithic-inspired menu of nuts, berries, fruits, vegetables and meat are recommended. Sometimes referred to as "early" or "prehistoric" Atkins because of its emphasis on protein and fat." "Sleeping Beauty diet: Elvis Presley's idea of dieting: zonk out on sedatives for a few days to
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