Best Diets Overall: The Data
A panel of experts rated each diet on a scale of 1 to 5 on seven measures: short- and long-term weight loss, ease of following, nutrition, safety, and performance as a diabetes and heart diet. U.S. News factored in each diet's score on all seven measures to compute its overall score. (See Best Diets methodology.) To rearrange the rankings based on a certain measure, click that header below.
| Rank | Diet | Overall | Short-Term Weight Loss | Long-Term Weight Loss | Easy to Follow | Nutrition | Safety | For Diabetes | For Heart Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |
DASH Diet
|
4.1 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
| #2 |
TLC Diet
|
4.0 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 3.2 | 4.5 |
| #3 |
Mayo Clinic Diet
|
3.9 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 3.5 | 3.6 |
| #3 |
Mediterranean Diet
|
3.9 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 4.0 |
| #3 |
Weight Watchers
|
3.9 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 3.1 | 3.4 |
| #6 | Volumetrics | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
| #7 | Jenny Craig | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 3.0 | 3.2 |
| #8 | Biggest Loser Diet | 3.6 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
| #8 | Ornish Diet | 3.6 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.6 |
| #10 | Vegetarian Diet | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
| #11 | Slim-Fast | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.8 |
| #12 | Flat Belly Diet | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 3.2 |
| #12 | Nutrisystem | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 2.7 | 2.4 |
| #14 | Abs Diet | 3.0 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| #14 | South Beach Diet | 3.0 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 2.9 |
| #14 | Vegan Diet | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 |
| #17 | Eco-Atkins | 2.9 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 3.3 |
| #17 | Glycemic-Index Diet | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 2.7 | 2.3 |
| #17 | Zone Diet | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 2.8 |
| #20 | Macrobiotic Diet | 2.7 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
| #20 | Medifast | 2.7 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.7 |
| #22 | Atkins | 2.3 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
| #22 | Raw Food Diet | 2.3 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 2.8 |
| #24 | Dukan Diet | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.7 |
| #24 | Paleo Diet | 2.0 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.0 |