In this paper, we propose an efficient method for the allocation of Reed-Solomon codes to source symbols, for unequal loss protection. The proposed formulation recasts the multivariate optimization problem into a univariate one, dramatically reducing the computational complexity. Results are shown for image transmission over lossy packet networks, employing the JPEG2000 and SPIHT encoders. The proposed algorithm exhibits performance equivalent to previous methods, while providing a significant complexity reduction. Index Terms--JPEG2000, multiple description coding, Reed-Solomon codes, SPIHT, unequal loss protection.