Dr. Phil Diet

Drawing from his years of experience counseling overweight individuals, Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight Loss Solution is loaded with behavioral modifications. While none of his strategies are particularly new, they are sensible and effective. For instance, he advises replacing negative self-talk with positive internal dialog, clearing your pantry of trigger foods that tempt you to overeat, and scheduling non food-related activities during times of the day when you're most tempted to overeat.

Some of his nutritional advice, though, raises red flags. After all, Dr. Phil is a psychologist, not a nutrition expert. Take, for example, his claim that crispy foods with sharp edges like taco or tortilla chips aren't only unhealthy but they can also lacerate your throat, which is another reason you shouldn't eat them. Most nutrition experts would undoubtedly call this nonsense.

To his credit, though, the foods he classifies as high-response, high-yield foods are mainly nutritious picks. He even discusses portions, advising you to split your plate into four quadrants and fill one section with protein, another with a starch and the last two with vegetables or a vegetable and fruit. Of course, why he uses such confusing language to differentiate the good foods from bad foods isn't clear, for aren't terms that any dietitian or nutritionist use and appear to be his own creations.

The most troubling part of his plan concerns his advice about supplements. For people who are what he calls weight-loss resistant, which means you're unable to lose weight despite continuous diet attempts and a regular exercise program, he recommends 13 supplements that he claims aid in weight loss. He even suggests supplements based on figure -- specific supplements are suggested for people with pear-shaped bodies while others are for people with apple-shaped bodies. This advice, though, is simply not credible and isn't backed by research, which may be why it's received harsh criticism from organizations like the Center for Science in the Public Interest.