High-protein diets spur warning

High-protein diets -- such as the popular Atkins, Zone, Power Protein, Sugar Busters and Stillman diets -- have not been proved to promote weight loss and may even be dangerous for those who adhere to them for more than a short time, the American Heart Association warned in an advisory last week.

The advisory, from the association's Nutrition Committee, was issued to counter "quick weight-loss" regimens that attract so many followers in the United States.

According to the committee, many high-protein diets are high in fat and low in nutritionally rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables.