Popular diets through the years

Figures released last year showed the number of people on a diet -- 26 percent of all women in the U.S. and 17 percent of men for the year ending February 2008 -- as the lowest it's been in more than two decades. What happened?

A possible explanation: Fewer people are dieting because there's no exciting "It" diet on the scene. Back in 2004, the top-selling diet book in the country, "The South Beach Diet," sold 2.4 million copies, according to Nielsen BookScan. In 2007, the most popular book, "You: On a Diet," by Oprah Winfrey's health guru Dr. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen, managed a mere 706,000 copies. Last year's top selling book, "Eat This Not That!" sold a mere 552,000 copies by September, and is more reference than diet book.

Take a look back at popular "it" diets.

Figures released last year showed the number of people on a diet -- 26 percent of all women in the U.S. and 17 percent of men for the year ending February 2008 -- as the lowest it's been in more than two decades. What happened? A possible explanation: Fewer people are dieting because there's no exciting 'It' diet on the scene. Back in 2004, the top-selling diet book in the country, 'The South Beach Diet,' sold 2.4 million copies, according to Nielsen BookScan. In 2007, the most popular book, 'You: On a Diet,' by Oprah Winfrey's health guru Dr. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen, managed a mere 706,000 copies. Last year's top selling book, 'Eat This Not That!' sold a mere 552,000 copies by September, and is more reference than diet book. Take a look back at popular 'it' diets.