Too many diets, but not enough time to study them all? Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital did the work for you and compared three popular ways to eat yourself slim: low fat, low carb, and low-glycemic index diets. The winner? Low-glycemic index diets are the most successful at keeping weight off without negative side effects. These diets are heavy on foods that take the body longer to absorb, such as oatmeal and beans, which means they keep you feeling full longer. That helps to control appetite and promote longer-lasting weight loss. In the study, dieters cutting down on carbohydrates burned the most calories, but they also experienced more spikes in the stress hormone cortisol and the inflammation marker CRP, which is a risk factor for heart disease. Participants on the low-glycemic index diet burned about 150 calories more each day than those in the low-fat group, without the harmful heart risks. The low-fat dieters burned the fewest calories each day and showed increases in triglycerides and lower levels of good cholesterol. On the low-glycemic diet, participants experienced fewer spikes and drops and in blood sugar, which protected them from the hunger pangs that can lead to overeating.