Where have all the destitute skinny people gone? There was a time, not long ago, when poverty at least ensured a reasonable Body Mass Index, but as today's USA Today reports, that golden era of weight loss is over.

In an interview with self-proclaimed “grocery guru' Phil Lempert, USA Today breaks down just how expensive all those fad weight loss trends can be.

The Atkins diet's ongoing weight-loss phase (45 grams of carbs a day) averaged $14.27 a day, ranging from $11.04 to $15.97.

South Beach diet's Phase 2 averaged $12.78 a day, ranging from $11.16 to $14.90.

The Thrifty Food Plan from the USDA averaged $6.22 a day, ranging from $6 to $6.61. (The government's calculation is slightly lower.)

The answer is clear - until the government begins to subsidize Atkins and South Beach dieters, we may never see another factory waif again.