MEN AND WOMEN ALIKE have sought magic routes to beauty since ancient times, and in no other area is the quest more pronounced than when it comes to body shape. In the past, Egyptian men loved really fat women (gemeizas) in reference to a tree with a really wide trunk. Today, men want women to be thin, yet women prefer muscular men, sending women to diets and men to pump weights (and go on diets, too). The result: Some diet fads sweep Egypt as they take the world by storm, while others just never seem to catch on. Among them:

Based on a theory arrived at by Dr. Peter D’Adamo in the late 1990s, this diet is built on the logic that blood types control whether our body views certain things in our diet as being either foreign or friendly. D’Adamo’s ideas are based on evidence that the most common blood type, O, dates back to the pre-historic age of hunter-gatherers.

With that in mind, D’Adamo says, those with type O blood are better off eating foods rich in fat and protein. Type A blood, however, appeared later in farming cultures, making modern-day A and A-B blood types better off following diets that rely primarily on grains and carbohydrates. Blood type B evolved after both O and A and is accordingly a balance of both.

Furthermore, a person with type B blood can’t burn the fat in red meat as efficiently as a type O can. Similarly, a type B person can’t burn carbohydrates as fast as a type A does. Although this type of diet appeared over seven years ago and did not catch on in the West, it has been all the rage in Cairo this past year.

The dreams of many a fataholic come true. Eat fatty, yummy foods and lose weight. The Atkins menu includes eggs fried in butter, burgers, and cheese lots of yummy, fatty, yellow cheese. Ah, but there’s a catch: you cannot have much in the way of carbohydrates or sugar, so despite losing weight, your breath will stink and so will your mood.

According to Atkins’ theory of weight loss, the body is forced to go to its fat reserves for fuel, thus resulting in weight loss. It is a known fact that the body burns both carbohydrates and fats as fuel for its energy. Carbs are the primary source of fuel because they’re easier to burn. But when a person cuts down on carbohydrates drastically, the body converts its metabolic pathway to fats and rapid weight loss is the result.

Atkins diet patients follow four basic (and now also famous) steps: Induction, Ongoing Weight Loss, Pre-Maintenance and Life-Maintenance. In the first stage, carbohydrates are cut out completely. In the second to the last, they are introduced slowly, but never as what you’d deem a satisfying plate of pasta, for example. Instead, carbs take the form of fruits and vegetables, which might not be interesting enough. Despite its popularity abroad, only a few Egyptians ever follow this diet.

This diet never caught on in Egypt. Although it’s fairly simple, quite nutritious and really works, only a few nutritionists follow it here, although it is gaining credibility abroad. The notion is that people who include three servings of milk a day, or 24 ounces every 24 hours (hence the name), in a reduced calorie diet tend to lose significantly more fat and weight than people who don’t. Studies suggest that nutrients found in milk, particularly calcium and protein, may help improve the body’s ability to burn fat, particularly around the midriff. Got milk? (Keep it skimmed, of course.)

I personally like this diet, simply because it sounds reasonable. You don’t cut out carbs completely and you don’t cut out fats either. Instead, you choose smartly. Dr. Arthur Agatston, the artist behind the diet, advises people to eat whole grains instead of white and replace butter with heart-healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil, in addition to lean sources of protein. The South Beach Diet is a diet for life, and follows a simple plan that does not exert any of the body’s vital organs.

There are three phases. In the two-week-long first phase, the plan is to eat normal-sized portions of lean meats, chicken, fish, and eggs, in addition to low-fat yoghurt, reduced fat cheeses, nuts, and plenty of vegetables. Snacks and desserts are part of the plan. Actually, they are mandatory, so the person does not feel famished by the time for the next meal. No fruits or carbs are allowed in phase one.

Phase two goes on until you reach your ideal weight, and here you are taught to incorporate healthy fats and whole grain bread and pasta into your diet. The plan includes a lot of great recipes. In phase three, the maintenance stage, you learn how to make the South Beach Diet part of your life. et