Experts Who Reviewed the Diets
A panel of health experts, including nutritionists and specialists in diabetes, heart health, human behavior, and weight loss, reviewed detailed assessments prepared by U.S. News of 29 diets. The experts rated each diet in seven categories, including short- and long-term weight loss, ease of compliance, safety, and nutrition.
Kathie Beals, Ph.D., R.D.
Associate professor, clinical, division of nutrition, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
Beals, a registered dietitian and associate professor of nutrition at the University of Utah, focuses her research on nutrition for athletes and athletic performance, weight management, and the glycemic index, a measure of how carbohydrates affect blood-sugar levels.
Amy Campbell, M.S., R.D., L.D.N. C.D.E.
Manager, clinical education programs, healthcare services, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston
An expert in diabetes nutrition, Campbell leads educational initiatives aimed at healthcare providers, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and case managers, to better care for the growing number of people with diabetes. She also specializes in cardiovascular disease and weight management. Campbell coauthored 16 Myths of a Diabetic Diet, a book that debunks misconceptions about nutrition for people with diabetes.
Lawrence Cheskin, M.D.
Founder and director, Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, Baltimore
Trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology, Cheskin specializes in diet and weight management. He is associate professor of health, behavior, and society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with joint appointments in medicine and human nutrition. He has authored numerous studies on weight loss.
Michael Davidson, M.D.
Director of preventive cardiology, University of Chicago Medical Center
Cutting the risk of heart disease with dietary changes and exercise is Davidson’s notable area of expertise. Also a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center, Davidson is an active nutrition researcher and is currently president of the National Lipid Association.
Marion Franz, M.S., R.D.
Nutrition and health consultant, Nutrition Concepts by Franz, Inc., Minneapolis
Franz, a registered dietitian, author, lecturer, and diabetes educator, specializes in diabetes nutrition. She was director of nutrition and health-professional education at the International Diabetes Center in Minneapolis for over 20 years. She has also advised the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association on nutrition recommendations.
Teresa Fung, Sc.D., R.D., L.D.N.
Professor of nutrition, Simmons College, Boston
A nutritional epidemiologist, Fung researches the relationship between diet and chronic disease, especially diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In addition to Simmons College, she is adjunct professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. She was previously a nutritionist at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Andrea Giancoli, M.P.H., R.D.
Spokesperson, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Los Angeles
A registered dietitian and an expert in nutrition policy and vegetarian and fad diets, Giancoli is nutrition policy consultant for the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, where she works with cities to adopt healthful food and beverage polices. Giancoli previously served as nutrition policy coordinator for the Los Angeles United School District, advocating for better nutrition in schools.
Carole V. Harris, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow, Public Health Division, ICF International
A licensed clinical psychologist and behavioral researcher, Harris’ research has examined the impact of individual behavior change interventions on child and adult obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. She previously served as codirector of the West Virginia University School of Medicine Health Research Center, where she was responsible for evaluating the impact of the state’s school nutrition and childhood obesity prevention policies.
David Katz, M.D., M.P.H.
Director, Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, Derby, Conn.
Katz is a recognized expert in nutrition, weight management, and chronic-disease prevention. He invented NuVal, a nutritional scoring system implemented in over 1,500 grocery stores nationwide. An active researcher and contributor to consumer health publications, he was recently appointed editor in chief of Childhood Obesity.
Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D.
Distinguished Professor of Nutrition, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa.
Kris-Etherton has been studying the impact of diet on heart disease risk for more than 30 years. She has served on advisory committees to the federal government and the American Heart Association to help shape nutrition guidelines. She is president of the National Lipid Association and chair of the American Society for Nutrition’s Medical Nutrition Council.
Robert Kushner, M.D.
Clinical director, Northwestern Comprehensive Center on Obesity, Chicago
Kushner is professor of medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and an authority on weight management and obesity. In his post at the obesity center he helps patients lose and maintain their weight through diet, exercise, and behavioral change. Kushner serves on editorial boards for scientific journals, is past president of the Obesity Society, and is the author of Dr. Kushner’s Personality Type Diet.
JoAnn Manson, M.D., Dr.P.H.
Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women's Health, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
Manson’s research focuses on how lifestyle factors and nutrition affect women’s risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. She is chief of the division of preventive medicine and codirector of the Connors Center for Women's Health and Gender Biology at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. She directs the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) and other studies.
Lori Mosca, M.D., M.P.H, Ph.D.
Director of preventive cardiology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, N.Y.
An expert in preventive cardiology and women's health, Mosca’s research examines the role family and lifestyle play in preventing heart disease. She also is professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. Mosca authored Heart to Heart: A Personal Plan for Creating a Heart-Healthy Family. Mosca participated in the first two editions of Best Diets. Mosca participated in the first and second iterations of Best Diets.
Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Ph.D., R.D.
Associate professor of clinical epidemiology and population health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York
Mossavar-Rahmani studies the link between nutrition and chronic disease and does cutting-edge research on dietary assessment using biomarkers. She is the principal investigator of the NIH-funded Study of Latinos: Nutrition & Physical Activity Assessment Study, and is a co-investigator of the Women's Health Initiative.
Elisabetta Politi, M.P.H., R.D., C.D.E., L.D.N.
Nutrition director, Duke Diet and Fitness Center, Durham, N.C.
Politi, a dietitian and certified diabetes educator, focuses on preventing chronic diseases through diet and weight management. At the center, she teaches patients how to make better food choices and plan healthy meals. She also oversees the preparation of well-balanced meals that are low in calories and high in taste.
Rebecca Reeves, M.P.H., Dr.P.H., R.D.
Adjunct assistant professor, University of Texas School of Public Health, Austin
Reeves, a registered dietitian, has helped lead clinical trials in the fields of nutrition and behavioral medicine, including studies on the prevention of heart disease and the behavioral treatment of obesity. She was project director of the landmark Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study, and former managing director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston.
Michael Rosenbaum, M.D.
Professor of clinical pediatrics and clinical medicine and associate director of the Clinical Research Resource at Columbia University Medical Center, N.Y.
Rosenbaum is a pediatrician and pediatric endocrinologist. He has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed manuscripts focusing on the regulation of body weight in adults and the prevention of obesity and its complications in children. He has received numerous awards as a clinician and as a scientist.
Lisa Sasson, R.D.
Clinical associate professor of nutrition, food studies and public health, New York University
Sasson’s expertise includes weight maintenance through behavior modification, sports nutrition, and the development of food attitudes and beliefs. She teaches both graduate and undergraduate nutrition courses and has a private practice specializing in weight management and other weight issues.
Joanne Slavin, Ph.D., R.D.
Professor, department of food science and nutrition, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Noted for her research on dietary fiber and whole grains, Slavin served on the 13-member advisory committee that helped shape the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. She also studies the effect of diet on the development of chronic diseases.
Laurence Sperling, M.D.
Director of preventive cardiology, Emory Clinic, Atlanta
Sperling is a cardiologist, professor of medicine, and director of the Center for Heart Disease Prevention at the Emory University School of Medicine. He has authored more than 100 manuscripts, abstracts, and book chapters, and has been an investigator in landmark clinical heart trials.
Brian Wansink, Ph.D.
Director, Food and Brand Lab, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
An authority on food psychology, Wansink is best known for his work on consumer behavior and for popularizing terms such as "mindless eating" and "health halos." He authored the best-selling book Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think (Bantam, 2006). Wansink participated in the first two editions of Best Diets.
None None, Ph.D., R.D.
Professor and founder of the Weight Management Clinic, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno
A behavioral scientist, St. Jeor is known for her innovative work in nutrition and weight management. She served on the 1995 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and coauthored the Institute of Medicine’s Weighing the Options: Criteria for Evaluating Weight-Management Programs.
