Welcome  to  the  Public  health  moment from  the  University  of  Minnesota. This  year,  the  American  Dietetic  Association  is urging  people  to  be  wary  of  fad  diets. Why?  For  one  reason, they  are  not  effective, says  Mary  Story,  a University  of  Minnesota  epidemiologist. A  fad  diet  is  something  that's  not necessarily  based  on  the  scientific  evidence. And  generally  fat  diets, they  come  and  go  and  they're  not  really  based, they're  not  effective,  especially  if  you're looking  at  weight  loss. Story  says  fat  diets  get attention  partly  because  they  promise  quick  results, but  long  term  results  are  more  difficult  to  achieve. I  think  the  key  messages  is  start  out  slow, make  changes  slowly  over  time. We're  talking  about  evolution, not  revolution  when  it  comes  to  eating. Story  says  people  with high  cholesterol,  high  blood  pressure, or  diabetes  who  require a  special  diet  may  want  to  see  a  registered  dietitian. As  well  as  anyone  needing help  in  planning  more  healthy  meals. She  adds  that  many  health  plans  now  cover  services provided  by  dietitians  with  another  public  health  moment. I'm  John  Finnegan.