With the sight of all those hard lean bodies basking in the sun by the pool this summer, many college students strive for thinness. Summertime means swimsuit time, and with all the pressures of looking good, students will do anything to look their best. The South Beach Diet, written by Arthur Agatston, M.D. is a recent addition to the weight loss and diet book empire.

Agatston is a renowned cardiologist from Miami Beach, Fla., who claims he has developed a safe diet for overweight people.

The author boasts, "The South Beach Diet teaches you to rely on the right carbs and fats ÷ the good ones ÷ and enables you to live quite happily without the bad carbs and fats. As a result, you're going to get healthy and lose weight ÷ somewhere between eight and 13 pounds in the next two weeks alone."

But UA nutrition counselor Gale S. Begeman, R.D., C.S.C.S believes that it would be impossible that the weight loss could solely be fat loss, rather it would have to be pure water loss.

Susanne Bryant R.D., a local dietician, agrees that the weight loss would be mostly water weight. "Someone who is 180-plus pounds depending on height with visible body fat may lose the eight to 13 pounds, but the average person who is around 150 pounds would lose more like six pounds."

"For people who are looking just to lose just a couple of pounds, this diet won't work. The diet is designed for overweight people who want to lose more weight than just a couple of pounds," added Begeman.

The South Beach Diet requires a low-carbohydrate diet for the initial phase of weight loss. Phase One lasts two weeks and calls for the elimination of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruit, baked goods, candy, cake, cookies, ice cream and alcohol.

Although the diet eliminates food groups for only a short period of time, Bryant thinks that any elimination of a major food group is unnecessary. Foods that the diet eliminates, such as grains, pastas and fruits, are good sources of B vitamins, folate and iron.

Some students at the UA have already tried low carbohydrate diets with undesirable results.

"I've tried no carbs before but it made me light headed and weak throughout the day. I found out that just going to the rec (center) and working out helped to get my energy back," communication senior Barry Wolk said.

"I have had friends who have tried the Atkins diet and have lost weight but gained it all back once they went off it," communication sophomore Kaitlin McClellan said.

"I have tried Atkins and noticed weight loss, but because I workout everyday and lift weights I found out that my muscles didn't recover as well. Less carb intake affects muscle recovery. I became lethargic and tired. Nothing seems to really work so I just resort to eating a healthy balanced diet," said Alexandra Permar, a UA Student Recreation Center employee.

Students on low carbohydrate diets may feel fatigued because they're denying their bodies of quick energy.

"These first two weeks is a high protein diet. The protein has a diuretic affect and it will reduce your appetite because you will go into ketosis, forcing the body to use fat as an energy source," said Bryant.

The diet focuses around making gourmet foods from amazing recipes that Agatston includes, but the overall cost may be too expensive for the average college student.

"My concern about this is that there is a huge expense for the food the recipes call for and all of the spices. Also, a lot of the food is made from scratch and we are in a second generation of people who don't know how to cook. If you don't have skills to cook you will find the recipes difficult to follow. It is not realistic for college students. Also, there is no mention of exercise," said Bryant.

To choose a safe and reasonable diet and exercise regime, Begeman suggests asking yourself the following questions: What is life like? What do you do? What motivates you to change? How much time are you willing to commit to healthy living?

"For most students diets won't be easy. But in the end, diets help them to reorganize their eating habits and help to result in lower calorie intake," said Begeman.

Bryant and Begeman both believe that to maintain a healthy weight you need to make conscious food choices and evaluate what you are eating on a daily basis.