Atkins Diet
Losing Weight with the Atkins Diet: How does it work?
The Atkins diet was developed and self-tested by Robert Atkins, M.D., during the 1960s. It gradually gained popularity over the years and reached its peak during 2002-2004, surpassing every other diet during that period.
The idea behind the Atkins diet is to decrease the consumption of refined carbohydrates (i.e. sugars and flour), replacing them with increased consumption of protein and saturated fat. Atkins claimed that the Western culture's reliance on carbohydrates resulted, over time, in fluctuating blood sugar levels that cascaded to metabolic problems, eventually resulting in unstable weight gain. With this in mind, the purpose of his diet was to stabilize the blood sugar levels in order to attain a metabolic equilibrium in which fat could be used more effectively by the body.
As a result, he developed a four stage program, beginning with an extreme reduction in carbohydrate intake in the first stage, and gradually progressing to reasonable but lower-than-normal levels by the fourth stage. The initial stages are the bulk of the weight loss, with the remaining two stages being a long-term maintenance approach. In case of a weight gain relapse, a dieter could revert to the initial stage at any time.
Benefits
- This is a very popular diet that has large amounts of information to support those who decide to use it.
- Proponents of the Atkins diet claim that it has the benefit of helping weight loss while not keeping the dieter hungry or craving other foods.
- The initial stage of the diet typically results in significant weight loss. However, long term effect is much debated.
- The ability to consume protein-rich fatty food to a larger extent than with traditional diets has appeal to some people.
Risks
- Atkins dieters have been found to have many more instances of diarrhea, general weakness, rashes and muscle cramps than those on a balanced diet.
- Eating large amounts of fat, especially saturated fat, can lead to increased risk of heart disease.
- Irregularly high protein intake can lead to Osteoporosis.
- Adherence to the Atkins diet may result in bad breath and decreased energy.
- Restricting the intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains may upset the body's nutritional balance, requiring a variety of supplements to avoid the effects of malnutrition.
What do experts say about the diet?
According to the President of the American College of Nutrition, "Of all the bizarre diets that have been proposed in the last 50 years, this is the most dangerous to the public if followed for any length of time."
According to the Chair of the American Medical Association's Council on Food and Nutrition, "[a] careful scientific appraisal was carried out by several council and staff members, aided by outside consultants. It became apparent that the [Atkins] diet as recommended poses a serious threat to health."
On a positive note, according to Dr. Linda Stern, "I think a low-carbohydrate diet is a good choice because much of our overeating has to do with consumption of too many carbohydrates."
Sources
- Atkins Exposed. Atkins "Nightmare" Diet. Retrieved Oct 15, 2006
from http://www.atkinsexposed.org/ - BBC News. Scientists endorse Atkins diet. May 17, 2004. Retrieved Oct 15, 2006
from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3722221.stm - U.S. Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs. Obesity and Fad Diets.
Apr 12, 1973 CIS S581-13. - Wikipedia. Atkins Nutritional Approach. Retrieved Oct 17, 2006
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atkins_Diet