Diet gurus preach guidelines

By VIRGINIA ANDERSON and RICHARD L. ELDREDGE / Cox News Service

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ATLANTA - Arthur Agatston, the South Beach Diet guru who preaches on the evils of processed carbs and saturated fats, faced down an enemy line of biscuits, grits, bacon, banana and eggs Thursday morning. As eyes openly roamed over his breakfast plate, he scooped up only a small serving of scrambled eggs.

A few miles away, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and Weight Watchers spokeswoman, stood next to platters of tea sandwiches of rare roast beef, egg salad and ham and Swiss cheese, and a tray of vegetables with dip. She smiled nicely, had a cup of Earl Grey tea with one-half teaspoon of honey, no cream, and declined everything but two grape tomatoes and a cucumber slice, explaining that the treats weren't worth it.

Such was the day for the apostles of two of the most popular diets in America, the South Beach Diet and Weight Watchers, who just happened to converge in Atlanta to spread their gospels.

Their timing was also good, as they stumped on the day of the release of a study that shows the national cost of obesity at $75 billion.

Agatston, a Miami cardiologist whose book has sold more than 5.5 million copies, swears that his diet of eschewing processed carbohydrates is not only a solution to America's growing obesity problem but also the best way to good heart health. He began his morning with a presentation to medical and clinical staff of Northside Hospital and the morning buffet in the doctors' lounge.

Ferguson, a mother of two and former wife of Prince Andrew whose struggle with weight was cruelly mocked in the British press for years, appeared before television cameras and groups of employees at Home Depot corporate headquarters, reminding people that "to err is human; to forgive, divine" and playing up Weight Watchers' famous point system and portion control.

Their appearance on the same day highlighted the confusing food and diet climate in which Americans live. Restaurants tout slabs of red meat with blue cheese as a weight loss option, and beer makers have made a drink marketed as beer to appeal to low-carb lovers. The nutritional academic community stresses that diets do not work. Yet obesity rates are not abating. What's a consumer to do?

Easy, Agatston said. Avoid processed carbohydrates like white bread, sugar, cakes, pies and sweets.

Easy, Ferguson said. Eat what you like, so long as it is within a point range devised by Weight Watchers. The 40-year-old business' enrollment has been lagging, overshadowed by the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets.

Agatston believes the obesity epidemic is due to low-fat guidelines promulgated in the 1980s, when science on the detrimental effects of high-carbohydrate diets was lacking. He separates himself from followers of the Atkins Diet by saying there are good and bad carbs. Good carbs include certain fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

"It was an experiment," he said while dining later in the day on a lunch of salmon and steamed vegetables. "There's never been a society eating the processed carbohydrates Americans eat."

He believes further research and increasing obesity have shown that diets high in processed carbohydrates are villainous. (He resisted the temptation of a large chunk of sourdough bread at lunch.)

Temptation was also lurking across town for Ferguson at Home Depot's corporate headquarters in Vinings, where she spoke to employees. After a nonstop morning of interviews, photos, autographs and speeches, she finally enjoyed a five-minute tea break.

Pointing to the stacks of tea sandwiches inches away, Ferguson said, "I could have any of those sandwiches if I wanted. That's the beauty of Weight Watchers. But at the same time, those points add up. Even on this plan, you have to be incredibly mindful of what you're doing.

"Last evening, not even thinking, I had eaten three cubes of cheese with biscuits [crackers]. It suddenly dawned on me, I had just had six points' worth of food for the day."

Ferguson, realizing that in a sentence she had completely crystallized the American obesity woes reported on newspaper front pages Thursday, said: "Here in the U.S., it's all sitting on the couch with that large bag of snacks, isn't it? Everything is supersized. I got thoroughly frustrated in a restaurant last night. I wanted two bits of fish and a side plate of asparagus.

"And they always want to bring you this massive portion with a potato and bread!"

Addressing about 600 employees, Ferguson reflected on her weight problems after divorcing Prince Andrew.

"I somehow managed to leave the royal family with my head still on my shoulders. Why I wasn't beheaded, I'll never know. Nine years ago when I arrived on the shores of the U.S., I was an empty vessel. You didn't care. You embraced me as I was. You people have given me back my life. I thank you, and so do my children."

A photo of Ferguson's daughters, Beatrice, 15, and Eugenie, 13, flashed on the large screen behind her.

"Nine years ago, when Weight Watchers asked me if I would be their spokesperson, then came the really annoying part. They told me, 'You'll have to do the program.' "

Virginia Anderson and Richard Eldredge write for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. E-mail:landerson~ajc.com,reldredge~ajc.com