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The South Beach Diet is a diet plan by cardiologist Arthur Agatston which stresses the importance of eating "good carbs" and "good fats." As the website says, "The real secret to The South Beach Diet is that it's not just a diet, it's a way to eat for life." Agatston states that he invented the program after studying scientific dieting research on some of his cardiac patients. His theory on weight loss is that excess consumption of bad carbohydrates creates an insulin resistance syndrome, which affects the body's insulin in processing fat and sugar. Meanwhile, excess consumption of fat can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is why the diet advises eaters to avoid not just sugar, fat or calories but to eat good fats and carbs, while avoiding the "bad".

There are three phases to Agatston's diet. The first phase is a two-week period in which dieters try to stop the insulin resistance by avoiding high carb foods, such as sugar, cereals, bread, potatoes, fruit and grains. Avoiding these foods will cause the body to lose insulin resistance and start to use the excess body fat, potentially allowing the loss of eight to thirteen pounds. During this phase you can eat certain types of meat such as lean and sirloin cuts of beef, pork, poultry and seafood, along with cheese, nuts, eggs and vegetables. Phase two introduces whole grain foods, fruits and dairy products into the diet though allowed in smaller amounts than before. Finally, there is the phase three "maintenance stage", which expands the menu to include up to three servings of whole grain and three servings of fruit every day.

This diet does not encourage a get-thin-quick strategy but helps the dieter to make permanent change in their way of eating. It emphasizes a variety of foods, and also more flexibility than alternative diets which are rigid in their requirements. What do users of the diet think about the South Beach diet? Some users have found success as the diet can do much to de-junk your system, while others have found the first two weeks of phase one to require great willpower and perhaps leave your body unusually weakened. Some experts have also questioned the safety of a plan that allows for very quick weight loss in just a matter of two weeks. All in all, the South Beach diet does follow the basic principles of healthy eating and that is truly half the battle.

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