Lake Martin Community Hospital food service director and clinical dietician Julie Hudson prefers her patients, friends and family take the traditional approach of moderation and exercise to lose or maintain weight rather than trying a "fad" diet such as the ketogenic diet.

"A lot of us in the nutrition world are not pushing this (keto diet)," Hudson said. "As far as the science goes, you're eating a lot of high-fatty items. First thing to think of is, what can this do to my heart? There is more research to be done."