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MARQUETTE -- Our nation has a big, fat problem:  our weight.  Two-thirds of our nation is overweight, sending out an S.O.S.:  "I need a diet that works!"

Luckily, digestive health specialist at Marquette General Hospital, Dr. Jim Surrell, has come to the rescue.  His solution is the aptly named S.O.S. diet, or stop only sugar.

"If you don't give people something that's simple and easy to understand, they just won't do it," said Dr. Surrell.

His diet has three simple rules:  low sugar, high fiber and best of all, no more rules!

"People are so tired of counting carbs and calories, and you talk about glycemic index and all this stuff that most people can't follow," said Dr. Surrell.  "It's just too difficult.  It's got to be short and simple."

Marquette General custodian, J.R. Root, lost 72 pounds over the course of a year using the S.O.S. diet.  He credits its simplicity.

"It was the easiest thing I've ever done," said Root.  "With his diet, you don't even realize you're not even on a diet.  It's just amazing!"

Surrell says people only need to eliminate one thing from their diet to lose weight:  refined sugar, which can be found in candies, white grains and flours.  Good sugars are unrefined and can be found in fruits and whole grains.

With the S.O.S. diet, Surrell hopes to turn people into label-reading detectives.  By eliminating foods with a high sugar content, dieters can lose five to eight pounds per month.

But if you have a sweet tooth, don't worry.  Surrell outlines many ways to satisfy it in his book.  He encourages the use of natural artificial sweetners, like stevia, and lists foods that contain sugars that are unrefined.

To pick up your copy of the S.O.S. diet, visit your local U.P. bookstore or go to click here.