Since 2024, US News and World Report has been releasing an annual list of the best diets and this year is no different. That goes for the rankings, not just the perpetuity of the list. It seems the analysis by US News done in 2024 matches identically to the “new” list they released for this year as the top spots in each category are exactly the same as they were last year. While four new diets were added to the top rankings in each category overall, the top two diets for each category remained the same. It certainly speaks to the longevity and consistency of the diets they review.
They look at only 29 diets in eight categories (with the addition of plant-based diets this year) and work with an expert panel of nearly two dozen leaders in the industry, including David Katz, MD, Robert Kushner, MD, and Lisa Sasson, RD. As well, they “mine” medical journals, government research, and other sources to create not only in-depth profiles for each diet but to accurately rank each diet.
According to their announcement, “Every diet received robust scrutiny, and we converted the experts’ ratings to scores and stars from 5 (highest) to 1 (lowest) to construct eight sets of Best Diets rankings.” This year, those rankings are as follows:
Best Overall Diet
1. DASH Diet
2. TLC Diet
Best Weight Loss
2. Jenny Craig
Best Diabetes Diet
1. Biggest Loser Diet
2. DASH Diet
Best Heart Healthy Diet
1. Ornish Diet
2. TLC Diet
Best Commercial Diet
1. Weight Watchers
2. Jenny Craig
Easiest Diet to Follow
1. Weight Watchers
2. Jenny Craig
Best Plant-Based Diet (New for 2024)
The few new additions this year include the Flexitarian Diet, Traditional Asian Diet, Anti-Inflammatory Diet, and Engine 2 Diet. All have remarkable plant-based qualities that can reduce cholesterol, support weight loss, and provide an overall better feeling of wellness.
A stand out is the Engine 2 Diet, a plant-based diet made popular by firefighter Rip Esselstyn (son of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn featured in Forks Over Knives). He recognized critical health problems amongst his fellow firemen and introduced a new and non-traditional diet to their Austin, Texas firehouse that markedly improved the health of each member of the squad.
Each December, we publish our annual list of the Most Popular Diets of 2024. Once again, few similarities exist between our list, which is focused on traffic trends and true consumer behavior, versus the US News list. Weight Watchers topped our list at number one again this year, and took the number one position for US News in Best Weight Loss, Best Commercial Diet, and Easiest Diet. When looking at the Best Commercial Diets, our lists had only four of the twelve US News named in common – Weight Watchers, Medifast, Nutrisystem, and Dukan Diet. Jenny Craig did not make our list.
Our list was compared against Google’s top diet search trends by ABC News last month, while we also compared our list to Yahoo’s search trends. Like US News, Weight Watchers also topped Consumer Reports’ best diets list this year.
With all of these lists and rankings, the only true way to know if a diet is right for you is to learn more about how it meets your needs. Try the Diet Finder to get started.
Also Read:
What Jillian Michaels Eats: 6 Recipes from Biggest Loser’s Star Trainer
4 Reasons Diets Fail and What You Can Do About It
4 Fitness Trends to Check Out in 2024