COLUMBIA - A food index often used by people with diabetes and popularized by the South Beach Diet is not an effective measure of how different foods will affect a person's body, according to a new study from the University of South Carolina.

The glycemic index, which supporters say can help dieters distinguish between "good carbs" and "bad carbs," has never been fully embraced by dietitians.

Now, Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, a diabetes researcher and dietitian at the Arnold School of Public Health, is saying the use of the index should be ended altogether in favor of more traditional methods of losing weight and reducing the risk of diabetes, such as consuming fewer calories and exercising.

Find out more at http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com.