Everywhere you look, people are struggling with their weight. Nothing surprising there. This generation, and probably the one following it, are deep in the mire of fast food and sub-zero exercise levels. It is like everything around us is conniving to make us pile on the fat.

Still, it is to their credit that a large number of people are trying to lose weight in spite of all the difficulties – and many of them are succeeding!

Here is a list of the top 10 diets in the last 24 months:

#1 - Leisa’s Secret: Is helping thousands of successful dieters to lose weight permanently. This diet gives you detailed meal plans and recommends the use of certain herbal supplements that when combined with their meal plan brings quick and lasting results. This diet is for people on the run, for those who have no time to measure food, check calories and work out in the gym for hours.

# 2 - The weight watchers diet: This one promotes healthy eating habits and works on the principle of eating right to lose weight and accelerating weight loss through exercise. It has been around for a long time.

#3 - The Cabbage Soup Diet: Another popular diet. The logic is simple: when you are hungry, simply drink more cabbage soup. When on this diet, you must avoid fatty food as this diet operates on cutting off or limiting the calorie supply to the body.

#4 - The Negative Calorie diet: This diet recommends the use of certain foods that are very high in fiber content and very low in calories. High roughage, low sugar, low fat and lots of veggies – that is the secret. As the name suggests, the trick is to supply the body with negative calories so that fat deposits are eroded.

#5 - The Slim fast diet: This balanced, nutritional diet allows you to eat six times a day. It is rich in proteins and calcium. Slim Fast started out as a line of diet shakes to help you slim fast. Today, the company has a number of food items like soups, pasta, snacks and meal bars that help you feel full without packing in extra calories.

#6 - The South Beach Diet: The customized meal plans you find in this diet allows you to choose carbs that have less calories. It plays on the use of the right fats, whole grains and vegetables to lose weight.

#7 - The Atkins Diet: This popular diet has had as many followers as detractors. While many have reported amazing success, others throw brickbats at it. It is a low carbohydrate diet that requires you to change your eating habits for maximum results.

#8 - The Low Carb Diet: This diet depends on sufficiently low levels of carbs to bring about weight loss. Again, the logic is simple. The carbohydrates you take in are converted into glucose in your bloodstream. Excess energy is stored in the form of fat. A low carb diet helps you burn excess fat by cutting off the supply of carbs to your body.

#9 - The Sonoma Diet: This diet allows you to take in vegetables rich in antioxidants. You may also eat juicy fruits spinach and whole grains. You may even have some red wine.

#10 - The Optifast Diet: This one aims to help you lose weight by replacing fattening food.

So, here they are – the top 10 diets of the season. Before you choose a diet, look for one that sets realistic goals, and helps you lose weight in the long term.