deficiencies of vitamins or minerals can have negative
effects on a baby. Dieters may want to consult a doctor
or other medical professional about whether a multi-
vitamin or supplement would be appropriate to help
reduce the risk of deficiency while on this diet. Multi-
vitamins and supplements have their own associated
risks that should be carefully considered.
Research and general acceptance
There may be some evidence that the Hilton Head
metabolism diet does promote long term weight loss.
A study that was done by the University of South
Carolina showed that almost 70% of people who had
lost weight while at the Hilton Head Health Institute
had kept the weight off when they were contacted
later. Although the people studied did not follow the
Hilton Head metabolism diet as laid out in Miller’s
book, and had attended the Institute as residents, the
ideas underlying the two programs are similar.
The role of metabolism in weight regulation is
controversial in some ways, and agreed upon in other
ways. The higher a person’s base metabolism the more
calories that person will burn during the day. A person
with a higher base metabolic rate will be able to take in
more calories throughout the day without gaining
weight than someone with a lower base metabolic
rate. However, the link between metabolism and obe-
sity is not yet completely understood. Some studies
show that a lower metabolism is correlated with obe-
sity, but as with many issues that are complex, not all
studies show exactly the same thing, and it can often be
unclear which problem is the underlying cause of the
issue and which is a symptom or outcome.
The United States Department of Agriculture
makes recommendations in its MyPyramid food
guide. These recommendations specify how many
servings from each food group are needed daily for
good health. Any diet that generally follows these
guidelines and provides a minimum number of calo-
ries each day is generally considered appropriate for
healthy weight loss. There is some debate about how
many calories each day are a minimum requirement
for good health. Because the requirement depends so
heavily on age, weight, sex, and activity level it is not
generally possible to make a broad recommendation
for every dieter. In 2007, the United States Centers for
Disease Control recommended 30 minutes of light to
moderate exercise each day for good health. Walking
is considered an excellent form of this type of exercise.
Following the Hilton Head metabolism diet plan and
walking for 20 minutes two times a day would exceed
these minimum recommendations. Many studies have
shown that exercise and diet are more effective at help-
ing dieters achieve weight loss when done in combina-
tion than either is when done alone.Resources
BOOKS
Miller, Peter M.The Hilton Head Metabolism Diet: Revised
for the 1990’s and BeyondNew York: Warner Books,
1996.
Miller, Peter M.The Hilton Head Diet for Children and
Teenagers: The safe and effective program that helps
your child overcome weight problems for good!New
York: Warner Books, 1993.
Miller, Peter M.The Hilton Head Over-35 DietNew York:
Warner Books, 1990.
Shannon, Joyce Brennfleck ed.Diet and Nutrition Source-
book.Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, 2006.
Willis, Alicia P. ed.Diet Therapy Research Trends.New
York: Nova Science, 2007.
ORGANIZATIONS
American Dietetic Association. 120 South Riverside Plaza,
Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995. Telephone:
(800) 877-1600. Website:<http://www.eatright.org>
OTHER
Hilton Head Health Institute2007.<http://www.hhhealth
.com>(April 5, 2007).Helen M. DavidsonHispanic and Latino diet
Origins
The United States Census Bureau definesHis-
panicsas those who indicate their origin to be Mex-
ican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South
American (e.g., Dominican, Nicaraguan, Colombian)
or other Hispanic origin. This designation is made
independently of racial classification. According to
the 2002 U.S. Census, 13.3% of the U.S. population
(or over 37 million Americans) identified themselves
as being of Hispanic origin. This number exceeds the
number of non-Hispanic blacks, or African Ameri-
cans, in the United States, making Hispanics the larg-
est minority subpopulation within the nation. The
three major subgroups that make up the Hispanic
population are Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans,
and Cubans. By far the largest of these is the Mexi-
can-American population, which represents at least
twothirds of all Hispanics.
Ethnic and racial diversity within the U.S.
increased dramatically during the latter part of the
twentieth century, with much of the large-scaleHispanic and Latino diet