"The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan"

The Volumetrics Eating Plan (several books featuring the diet are available) encourages you to eat more of the foods that leave you satisfied, swapping high-density foods (which tend to be high in calories) for low-density foods that have fewer calories but make you feel full, such as fruits, vegetables, soups and stews. Although some don't like having to count calories, others like the book's tips on reducing the calorie content of favorite recipes. The diet draws expert kudos for not banning or severely limiting entire food groups -- a popular practice in commercial diets, which could introduce nutritional imbalances -- and for its focus on "smart, sustainable tweaks to your eating habits."

One expert particularly likes how the author juxtaposes photos of low-density (reduced-calorie) and high-density (high-calorie) foods to help dieters "visualize good choices." The only expert criticism we found for this diet is that exercise plays a secondary role. Volumetrics is based on extensive nutritional research done by its creator Barbara Rolls, PhD, the endowed Guthrie Chair in Nutritional Sciences at Penn State University, so there are numerous clinical studies testing its effectiveness.

Volumetrics receives solid recommendations from expert panels for both U.S. News & World Report and Health magazines. WebMD also has a comprehensive review of this diet, and nearly 100 Amazon.com reviewers give Volumetrics 4.6 stars out of 5.