Getting the Skinny on the Low-Carb Craze

With millions of American losing the battle of the bulge, many are turning to high-protein low-carbohydrate diets to help them shed those extra pounds. That's turning the food industry upside down, as foods once perceived as bad are being heralded as a dieter-s savior and centuries-long staples are being vilified. The Atkins and South Beach Diets, now dogma to millions, can have short term success, but are they effective in shedding pounds and keeping them off? What about their long term health effects. Are there meaningful guidelines for consumers? Guest host Jim Moret gets the skinny on the low-carb craze from journalists at the Wall Street Journal and Consumer Reports, and dieticians and biochemists from the University of California Berkeley's Center for Weight and Health and the National Institutes of Health.

• Making News:

  Popular Dietary Supplement Ephedra Banned

  The Food and Drug Administration today banned the sale of Ephedra, a controversial herbal supplement found in many over-the-counter products designed to help people lose weight or increase energy. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said his agency will notify manufacturers to stop selling the product and will issue a consumer alert about the dangers of using it. Lisa Richwine covers the FDA for Reuters.

• Reporter's Notebook:

  America-s Critical Shortage of Arabic Speakers

  America's future now seems irrevocably tied to events in the Middle East, where communication and understanding are crucial to diplomats, intelligence agents and soldiers. Ruth Larimer is dean of the Graduate School of Language and Educational Linguistics at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, a training-ground for diplomats and workers in non-governmental languages. Larimer looks at the shortage of Arabic speakers and the immediate crisis it poses to the US.

Jim Moret has had an extensive career in both local and national television news reporting over the past 20 years, including nearly a decade at CNN. In addition he co-anchored CNN's

The World Today, served as frequent guest host on

Larry King Live and

Burden of Proof. Recently, Moret appeared in the film,

A Mighty Wind, and TV dramas such as

The Practice and

The West Wing. He has been a member of the California bar since 1981.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Ephedra

HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on Ephedra

Richwine's article on the FDA's banning of Ephedra

The Atkins Diet

The South Beach Diet

National Library of Medicine

Nutrition.gov

USDA's Dietary Guidelines