i live in santa monica in west LA, one of the "healthiest" places in the western world if not the healthiest (you can go literally days without seeing an obese person), and every single doctor i've been to in the past 10 years has advised a healthy diet and exercise first and foremost. many advocate low carb or paleo diets. it's not fringe here - it's mainstream. the medical community here is slowly but surely being taken over by a new guard of young up-to-date professionals who understand the changing science.