Conclusion

This concludes our blog based on the essay "High on Protein" from A Fly in the Ointment. We hope it has been informative about the Atkins diet.

The Low Point of a Fad: The Atkins Story

Everyone who has ever tried to be popular or is just a true media sucker has followed a fad once in their life. They are always around. One appears, and then slowly it dies. The Atkins diet was a diet fad many dieters were into. However, diet fads are different than other types of fads. The diet can become popular instantly, yet can plummet into a low point just as quickly. However, there is a nothing that the makers of the diet can do to increase its popularity besides media propaganda. It is impossible to have an “Atkins Collectible Card Game” or “Atkins” on the Gameboy Advance. This is the reason why regular fads lose popularity; it is because they become boring. The Atkins diet could never have been fun, so why is it a fad?

This site did an article on the Atkins diet in relation to fads. Marshall Fisher, an expert in management, states that fads are “usually ‘very popular for a very short length of time,’ but there ‘is also no rational reason for them to fade out, or to have been popular to begin with.’” All fads have no real reason to become popular. Material fads lose audiences because they go out of time. However, the Atkins diet can never go out of fashion since it is a way of eating. From what the article says, the Atkins diet may be popular once again.

Common Mistakes

There are many people who try to lose weight the easy way. The Atkins diet became one of the popular diets that did not require strenuous exercise. It has been stated numerous times that the effects are short term. It is hard to lose weight properly just by going on a diet, or just by using an exercise machine. These two go hand in hand. This website gives five guidelines to make a low-carbohydrate diet successful.

“A successful Fitness Program must incorporate 5 Strategies:
1. A Compelling Reason to Change
2. Proper Nutrition
3. Progressive Resistance Training
4. Moderate Aerobic Exercise
5. Consistency”

The reason to change is the dieter’s motivation. This is the step that puts most people on the diet; however it needs to be strong enough so that they stay on the diet. Proper nutrition is needed too. Even though it you can eat almost anything under the carbohydrate limit, there is no reason to eat “low-carb Oreos.” Training and exercise are crucial to the success of the diet! People forget that carbohydrates provide energy to muscle cells, and that is how it is burned. By having some muscle and using it daily, fewer carbohydrates will be lost from your body and other energy substances such as fat will be lost. Finally, it is important to stay on top of the diet and not have any breaks.

These are the five simple steps to a successful diet; maybe some people will try to follow them.

Did the Atkins diet really kill Dr. Atkins?

Atkins died in April 2003, after falling on an icy footpath and sustaining a serious head injury. Controversy began when Richard Fleming (the cardiologist noted in a previous entry about SPECT scans), along with the Physicians Committee for Responsible medicine (PCRM), obtained a copy of the death report and contacted the Wall Street Journal, claiming that obesity contributed to the death of Robert Atkins.

In his 2004 article, Anthony Colpo criticizes these claims. He explains that PCRM is not a respectable source of information, but in fact “a band of radical vegan activists with a long history of distorting facts in order to advance their agenda.” He suggests that PCRM is just a front for the radical and controversial group PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals). He claims that PETA “has funneled over $850,000 to its physician front group.” Colpo also argues Fleming’s credibility as he is an “outspoken critic of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets, and just happens to be the author of the only published study to have ever found greater weight loss in individuals randomized to follow a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet than individuals following a low carbohydrate diet.” The accuracy of Fleming’s study is also questioned as he doesn’t list his sources of funding, or any doctors, nurses, technicians, dietarians, or co-authors that might’ve helped with the study.

The death report said that Atkins died at 255 lbs, which would be considered obese for his body structure. However, some argue that he weighed only 196 lbs, and that he gained the remaining weight in his coma. Atkin’s wife, Veronica Atkins, also confirms that “his coronary arteries showed only minimal and clinically insignificant signs of atherosclerosis.” He was however diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, which is not uncommon for a man of his age, and which is usually instigated by genetic pre-disposition rather than diet and lifestyle. According to Anthony Colpo, there is very little to no proof that Dr. Atkins was obese, or that the Atkins diet contributed to his death somehow. Colpo write at the end of his article:

The fact that Atkins' accidentally-leaked death report, the contents of which were not based on autopsy and are the subject of considerable speculative conjecture, has been allowed to hi-jack the entire low-carbohydrate versus low-fat diet debate - even if only temporarily - is appalling. The outcome of this debate has the potential to affect the lives and well-being of millions of people around the globe, and should at all times be based on nothing other than scientific facts. That this critical debate has been derailed by muck-raking vegan activists is a very sad testimony to the ability of scare-mongering hype to triumph over both science and plain commonsense.

Fad Diets: A timeline

Fad diets have had a huge influence in latter part of the 20th century. This website gives a brief timeline describing the popular “fad diets” in the past 50 years. These include: The Cabbage Soup Diet, The Grapefruit Diet, The Atkins diet, the Hollywood Diet, Weight Watchers, Slim-Fast, Susanne Somers Diet, Blood Type Diet, The Nutri-System Diet, The South Beach Diet, and The Zone Diet. Surprisingly, The Atkins diet seems to be the most plausible out of all the fad diets. The Hollywood and the Blood Type diets however, seem the most strange and far-fetched.
The Hollywood Diet
The Hollywood Diet originating in the 1960’s, is usually advertised as the “48 hour diet”. The formulated juice drink is supposed to stimulate your metabolism and allow you to lose anywhere from 5-15 pounds. You must refrain from drikining caffeine, alcohol and smoking, and instead drink the Hollywood Diet juice for several days. Food is restricted as the diet juice claims to provide all the minerals you need. According to this website weight loss is great possibility however “only be due to severe, unhealthy calorie restriction.” As the drink only accounts for 500 calories of our 2000 calorie diet, this diet effectively starves the person.
The Blood Type Diet
According to this website, The Blood Type Diet is based on research done by Peter D'Adamo, ND. He claims that those with Type A blood should stick to a High carbohydrate, low fat diet. “They have a thicker blood than other blood types…They are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.” Those with Type B blood should consume a mostly balanced diet. Those with Type AB should consume a mostly vegetarian diet. Those with Type O blood should follow a high protein, high fat diet, like the Atkins diet. Although some claim to get results from following suggestions provided by the Blood Type Diet, it actually produces very little results.

It is obvious that there are no miracle Diets. More specifically there are no painless diets. If you want results you either have to follow a healthy lifestyle for your whole life, or you can lose weight following a fad diet, ultimately damaging your health.

Potential benefits

Could Dr. Atkins have been a little bit right about too many carbs being a bad thing? Well, this site, originally from Atkins.com, gives some support for why carbohydrates may be bad after all. However, this does not mean eliminating them altogether will be any better.

In one study, researchers monitored the health of people replacing fats with carbs and found that carbs were related to obesity, heart disease, and lower good-cholesterol. The researchers say “Dr. Atkins foresaw the potential ill effects of carbohydrates in terms of atherogenesis and heart disease decades earlier.”

In another section of the page, it suggests that a diet low in carbs (i.e. a low "glycemic load") will leave a dieter less hungry, as opposed to diets with a high-glycemic load which will make the person stay full for less time, and will "set individuals up for failure."

Finally, the page mentions that seven diabetics on a low-carb diet became healthier over a 16-week period of time. The patients that were studied also required less medication, or even were able to go off medication. Their weight also dropped.

Ultimately, the page tries to persuade readers to take on the Atkins diet. There appear to be good benefits to eating fewer carbs. Yet the thouroughness of the research is not exactly clear, and no negative side effects were mentioned. Obviously, the Atkins website wants you to go on their diet and give them your money. But of course the best weight-loss solution is a diet that is not high in fat nor carbs, but is balanced, in addition to exercise. Wow, bet you didn't see that one coming.

Trick or Threat??

<==link

One look says it all. People have actually resorted to giving children fattening foods for Halloween. How can this be? Have people gone mad?

Well, probably, but this is just a comic from October 29th. There is NO RECORD of people actually doing this. It's a good thing too. If someone gave out bacon to their trick-or-treaters, they would be nailed with lawsuits for giving loose food to children. Studies show that bacon is easily laced with narcotics, becuase the grease commonly found on the food acts as a harbor for harmful drugs. Be thankful that this hasn't happened to your children.

However, this goes to show that many people have gone overboard with their diet, or so it seems to many people. If you wouldn't let your children take fattening foods instead of candy, would you want to? Why should grown Americans substitute fat for candy, when candy tastes better anyway? It is astounding how many people are being controlled by thier diets. America is slowly losing its sense of morality and inteligence at the same time. Before long, every American will be a cannibal, eating what they kill, and killing what they eat. But there is a ray of hope!!! Once the word gets out that the Atkins diet is bad, the world will remain at peace... and hopefully become skinny by the time another diet comes along.

Concrete Evidence

Despite the overwhelming amount of articles refuting the Atkins Diet, some stubbornly continue to believe in it. The one thing that could discourage these adamant supporters is concrete evidence. Luckily, since the year 2000, this evidence is available to us through Nuclear Cardiology, more specifically SPECT Scans.

According to this article, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, or SPECT scans were fist used in the 1970’s. However they are now powerful tools in detecting diseases in humans. First, a radionuclide (a radioactive isotope), is injected into the body. Body tissues absorb the radionuclide, and a camera, rotated around the patient, picks up the emitted photons. The data is then transferred into a 3D model using computer graphing.

This website article describes an accidental study which provided solid evidence to refute the Atkins diet. Richard Fleming M.D., “an accomplished nuclear cardiologist, enrolled 26 people into a comprehensive study of the effects of diet on cardiac function.” Using the aforementioned SPECT scans, he could measure blood flow in the coronary arteries (the ones that get blocked when a heart attack occurs), and directly correlate the data to the diet. All 26 patients were to follow a high carbohydrate, low fat diet; this way Fleming could establish whether such a diet really can reverse heart disease. Luckily for Fleming, 10 of his patients dropped the prescribed diet, and went on the low carbohydrate, high fat Atkins Diet. SPECT scans were done and gave astonishing results:

The 16 that remained on the high carbohydrate vegetarian diet showed significant reversal of heart disease. The blood flow to their hearts increased by about 40%. Those who switched to the Atkins Diet, showed about a 40% decrease in the blood flow to their hearts. The results were published online to finally shatter any remaining hope that the Atkins supporters had.

Here are the exact SPECT images:

The two top images are the before and after SPECT scans of the patients on the High-Carbohydrate Vegetarian diet. The two bottom images are the before and after SPECT scans of the patients on the High-Protein, High-Fat Atkins Diet. The green areas are those with poor blood flow. The red areas are those with good blood flow. Visibly, the blood flow significantly improved with the High-Carbohydrate Vegetarian diet, and significantly diminished with the High-Fat Atkins diet.

Controversy

What do people really know about the Atkins diet? Many people know less than they think they do. There are several oppinions given on sites such as UrbanDictionary.com or a section of a site entitled Dig or Dis. Upon reading several of these user-posted items, one may learn a good amount about the Atkins diet, but only after carefully piecing facts together from several sources. Most people don't really understand everything behind the Atkins diet, but many are smart enough to realize it is not really the best choice for a diet.

Many people claim that the Atkins diet is "so stupid" or "illogical" because people eat too much fat. In many cases this is true, but the other side of the story is that fat will be used as energy instead of carbs, allowing people to lose weight. However, if too much fat is consumed, it will be impossible to lose any weight at all. Although it may sometimes work as a diet, if used improperly it can be very bad. Therefore, most people should try healthier alternatives, many which people do not frown upon (such as eating healthy and exercise).

Some unruly people call the Atkins diet the "fatkins diet" because it is 'supposed to' make you fat, and because people on it eat fat excessively. Furthermore, people claim it is a bad diet because Dr. Atkins himself was obese. There is no real defense for this statement. However, in this blog, we have discussed many reasons why the Atkins diet is NOT a good diet. Once again, although it may help some people lose weight, it is not always beneficial and is generally unhealthy for you. Bottom line:
Don't do it.

Top Five Low-Carb Lies

There are a handful of rumors and beliefs circulating around the Atkins diet. However good or bad, many of them are false. This website lists 10 common thoughts about the Atkins diet and why they are false. Listed below are the top five lies and a brief summary of why it is a lie.

Rumor 1: Low-carb diets don't work.
As stated in previous posts, these diets do work. However, what is lost isn't all fat. Muscle is also lost as well. So if the diet is for those who wish to lose fat, then the diet, as well as all other diets, don't work so well.

Rumor 2: There is a ton of research proving the diet is effective.
There has been much research done on the Atkins diet, however the studies do not go into long term analysis. This means that side effects that may take a few years to show haven't been seen yet. Severe diet side effects may occur, but haven't been fully studied.

Rumor 3: The Atkins diet is healthy and doesn't raise cholesterol.
The Atkins diet raises good HDL cholesterol, however it also raises LDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is dangerous in high quantities since it restricts blood flow to the heart.

Rumor 4: The Atkins diet will keep off fat for good.
Definitely not true. Muscle could be lost in the diet instead of fat, and how long would people plan to follow the diet after reaching the set weight? It is impossible to keep the amount of fat in the body at zero, and most people usually quit diets less than a year after starting.

Rumor 5: Calories don't count and any amount can be taken in.
The main point of the diet is to keep off fat, so a high intake of calories is a bad idea. The main reason why anyone on the diet can eat a lot of food rich in calories is because they become full after a small portion. There is an automatic shut off for food intake, and every time it occurs roughly the same amount of calories have been brought in as the previous time.

While rumors about the Atkins diet are good and bad, it still brings up the fact that people don't know their diets. A little research now and then will help them achieve higher results. Three words, "Know Thy Diet."

Inspiring Stories of the Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet may have a bad reputation thanks to the media, however what scientists do not realize is that the ones who go on the diet are very sensitive and are looking for an easy way to recieve help. There are many inspiring stories found on this site. One example would be the Dan and Karen story.

Dan and Karen both had severe weight problems. They could barely find any XXL clothing that was comfortable to them. Unfortunately, they tried other diets which didn’t work for them. One day a person who criticized Dan's driving (even though according to the story, it was really the other guy's fault) pulled up to the car and yelled, “Why don’t you learn how to drive you fat slob!?” Deeply upset, he went on the low-carbohydrate Atkins diet.

76 pounds later, Dan became happy with himself. However, there are a few items in the story to be concerned about. Within the story he mentioned that eating bacon delayed his progress. This poses a question; why eat fatty foods while on a diet? It may be the Atkins diet, and it is possible to remain under the carbohydrate limit while eating such foods, but why would someone injest what they are trying to get out of their body? Also, why wait until someone yells at them to lose weight if they know it’s a problem? Finally, what is the most concerning is that with this article, it doesn’t seem like there was any exercise involved. He mentions he was able to increase how far he could walk, yet there was no mention of any exercising. With all the other diets he and his wife went on, exercise was vital for success. Could it be that the Atkins diet only for those who are too lazy to put in a few hours of exercise?

Dieing Diet

Atkins is slowly but surely falling apart. The diet, that is. Fewer and fewer people are following the Doctor's proposed health plan, many trying other alternatives such as the South Beach Diet or The Zone. There are not as many low-carb products as there were a year, or even several months, ago. More and more people are coming to realize that while the diet may work for some people, it can also be unhealthy for you. If people are deprived of carbs totally, not getting at least 30g per day, their mind and body will not be able to work to its full potential.

Furthermore, people are getting (slightly) smarter about fat being bad for you. "Bad for you?" Yes. Bad for you!! Surprising? Well, no, but still some people are oblivious to the fact that eating fat will make you fat, or at least less healthy. The best bet for losing weight and staying healthy is to eat a balanced diet (as suggested by the food pyramid) and exercising. Many healthy benefits of the various food groups eludes those who ignore parts or all of certain categories. One helpful suggestion from this site is as follows:

the best thing is to cut simple carbs, eat complex carbs, lots of fresh veggies and fruits, cut out preservatives and sugars as much as possible and avoid animal fats (butter, cream, meats, etc). Get your high quality protein from a cholesterol and saturated fat free source. And above all, exercise and don't eat out of boredom, sadness or anxiety. cut your portions down.

What has the Atkins corporation done to counter the decline of interest in their diet plan? Well for one, they updated their website to a new "improved" site that consists of flashy graphics (that have some sort of error about 50% of the time) and sacrifices quality for acetic graphics. It claims that the Atkins Advantage is "THE NEW LOOK OF NUTRITION". Well, some people don't like the new look of the website, because it's less user-friendly.

Strangely, Dr. Atkins himself was afflicted with weight problems and heart trouble. He even suffered a heart attack. Why did his diet creation not come to the rescue? Did it in fact kill him quicker? Well, maybe not, but one thing is for sure: the Atkins diet ironically did not work for Dr. Atkins. What a way to back up his arguement!

Insulin

Insulin plays one of the most important roles in the ongoing controversy about the plausibility of the Atkins Diet. What is insulin? A website about the endocrine system, gives a nice overview of insulin and its significance in the body. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the Pancreas, an organ situated behind the stomach. As food is absorbed and blood sugar increases, the Pancreas secretes a specific amount of insulin. When insulin binds with insulin receptors found on most cells of the body, it facilitates the intake of glucose into the cell, as well as its conversion to glycogen. According to a Columbia University Press article found on Answers.com, insulin also “increases protein synthesis in muscle” as well as “facilitates glucose catabolism [the breaking down of complex molecules into simpler ones by metabolic means]” in the liver. If there is an excess of sugar in the blood, the energy gets stored as fat.

So what's the significance of insulin in the Atkins diet? Well, Dr. Atkins based his whole diet theory on the fact that overproduction of insulin causes an increase in fat. According to this website about low carbohydrate diets, it is true that “the greater the amount of sugar in the body, the more insulin that is produced. And an overproduction of insulin can make the body less sensitive to this hormone. In other words, insulin will become less effective in ferrying sugars into the cells, and as a result, more sugar will be stored as fat”. However, is not proven that a diet rich in carbohydrates causes an overproduction of insulin. In fact, as stated in previous entries, foods rich in proteins and fat actually cause a greater production of insulin than carbohydrates. So, although Dr. Atkins was correct in his theory about insulin, his crucial mistake lies in thinking that Carbohydrates produce a greater amount of sugar in the blood

A Diet for the Muscle Masses

In late September, a study was conducted by Donald K. Layman of the University of Illinois' Urbana-Champaign campus. Layman hypothesized that exercise is important when dieting, even on a high protein diet. The results he obtained proved this. However, it is not necessary to overload one’s diet with protein in order to obtain great results.

4,800 women partook in Layman’s study. Half of the women followed a high-protein diet while the other half followed a high-carbohydrate diet. Each group was then split into two other groups, those who exercised by walking for thirty minutes a day and those who walked and added an additional thirty minutes of weight lifting to their diet.

Results in weight loss did not vary much between both groups that took part in exercising an hour a day. However, there was a difference in what was lost. The weight women lost on the high-protein diet was mostly fat. However, one third of the weight lost in the high-carbohydrate group was muscle.

These results show that maximum fat loss can be obtained by following a high-protein diet and exercising an hour a week. Even though this study was conducted with women, men should not fear because they can use this diet too. So for all the athletes out there who want to lose some fat, there’s a perfect diet for you: The Layman’s diet.

Full on Proteins

A recent USA Today article describes the recent evidence points to the claim that high-protein diets keep people feeling satiated longer than the high-fat counterpart. Researchers at the annual meeting of NAASO (North American Association for the Study of Obesity) discussed the evidence supporting the claim that protein controls hunger and possible biological explanations.

A recent study done in Adelaide, Australia, followed 57 obese people for 16 weeks. They were divided into two diet groups as follows:

Group 1 - High-Protein - 1400 Calories per Day*
29% Fat, 34% Protein, 37% Carbohydrate
406 fat calories, 476 protein calories, 518 carbohydrate calories
45g fat, 119g protein, 129.5g carbohydrate

Group 2 - High Fat - 1400 Calories per Day*
45% Fat, 18% Protein, 37% Carbohydrate
630 fat calories, 252 protein calories, 518 carbohydrate calories
70g of fat, 63g protein, 129.5g carbohydrate

After two months, both groups lost an average of twenty pounds. However, “overall, more people who ate the high-protein diet reported feeling more satisfied and less hungry for three hours after their meals than did dieters who ate high-fat meals.” Since a high protein diet reduces hunger and food craving, it seems like the most painless and effective diet. However, lead researcher Scott Weigle of the University Of Washington School Of Medicine, says that we shouldn’t rush with the protein diet, and "we need to have good clinical trials that look at possible side effects of high-protein diets, especially on the kidneys and on calcium.” We neither know the mechanisms by which the body reduces hunger, nor the consequences of high-protein intake; it would not be wise to put all our confidence in the High-Protein diet. An interesting article describes that the diets used in the Australian study, are neither healthy nor nutritional. The author explains that the High-Fat diet is actually a Protein deficient diet, since 63g of proteins is not enough daily intake, especially for an obese person. The same was said about the Fat intake in the High-Protein diet. So in fact, this study is a comparison of two nutritionally deficient diets.

*data for studies obtained from http://www.commonvoice.com/article.asp?colid=3188

$tealing our money?

Ever since the start of the low-carb craze, more and more companies are putting out products boasting the "low-carb" or "no-carb" name. Although this may sound enticing, a lot of these products are actually higher in calories and fat grams than their higher carb counterparts. As mentioned in a previous post, unrestrained low-carb eating will not result in permanant weight loss unless there is also a lower calorie intake. Because of this, many people are actually causing their bodies harm by eating excess amounts of calories.

Many products also add artificial sweeteners or flavorings in order to make it taste good yet still be low carb. By eating too much processed food, regardless of the carbohydrate content, people will become more unhealthy. Therefore, people are essentially wasting their money on products that they falsely believe will help them lose pounds and inches, although they probably will lose quite a few pounds when paying with coins, and inches off of their wallet.

Of course, there are some products that are low-carb and are actually more healthy for you. However, many products are not concerned with healthfulness, but they only want your money; yes, your money. One example of an unhealthy low-carb food is low carb Oreos. They still contain all of the same fattening ingredients as regular Oreos, but will nevertheless be purchased because of the Atkins-friendly label oh-so-conveniently placed on the package. First of all, cookies of any kind are not the healthiest of foods. In fact, they're pretty low on the "good for you" list. But much of the general public thinks anything lacking many carbohydrates is good to eat without any consequenses whatsoever.

Low carb products have become a popular in the food industry. It seems as if every large company has jumped on the Atkins bandwagon and is providing people with the low carbs (and not much else) that they need. The Atkins revolution also brought a whole new level to dietary supplements. Since low-carbers are often deprived of nutritious foods such as fruit and some vegetables, supplements will in effect supply them with the vitamins and minerals that they are missing out on. Of course this requires some additional finances. For the most part, though, natural fruits and veggies are most likely one's best bet, as they contain many nutrients that have benificial effects, which supplements just don't have.

Can you put a price on weight loss? Apparently many food companies have, and dieters must think so too. It makes you wonder, in the long run, is it really worth throwing away your money to buy things with a label weilding Dr. Atkins's name, or is it better to just stay conscientios of the fattening and high calorie foods that you eat?

Severe Diet Side Effects

As Dennis mentioned, there are minor side effects such as diarrhea, constipation, headache, muscle cramps, general weakness, and rashes. However, even more serious risks are introduced at the Atkins Diet Alert website. Even though theses studies have only been produced for twelve months, there is scientific back up to how these illnesses could occur. The serious side effects include colon cancer, heart disease, impaired kidney function, complications of diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Colon cancer: The main cause of the increase in chances of receiving colon cancer is due to eating red meats such as beef, pork, or lamb. In 1997, the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research concluded that red meat causes the increase in the risk of colon cancer. Also, meat heavy diets are low in dietary fiber, which helps prevent colon cancer. Since the Atkins diet allows you to eat more meat, the risk of colon cancer will become greater.
Heart disease: In most diets, when weight is lost so is the amount of cholesterol in the body. However, approximately 30% of people on low-carbohydrate diets experienced an increase in cholesterol. There was one case in which a patient almost doubled his LDL, low-density cholesterol (a.k.a. bad cholesterol) from 123mg/dl to 225mg/dl. In another study, 30% increased their cholesterol by an average of 10%. LDL can cling onto cell walls, forcing blood to clot in a vein, leading to a heart attack. People should exercise extreme caution when they are on low-carbohydrate diets.
Impaired kidney functions. Diets which are high in animal protein can reduce kidney function over time based on observations in 1,624 women participating in the Nurse’s Health Study. However, the study produced good news. Most of the patients tested had kidney problems before the study. However, this means that the use of high protein diets can lead to further deterioration. People on low-cholesterol diets eating mostly meat should know if they have any kidney problems before partaking on the diet, in order to prevent further harm.
Complications of diabetes: Diabetes patients commonly have kidney and heart problems. In order to prevent further harm, more caution must be used when using high-protein diets. That is why dieters on the Atkins diet must be careful not to eat too many meats.
Osteoporosis: High protein intake leads to the decrease of urinary calcium. Patients who have low urinary calcium can lead to the increased risk of kidney stones as well as a risk in bone loss. This could also happen with the Atkins diet.
All of the above occur when high protein levels are introduced into the body. Since the Atkins diet allows for the intake of more meat, which is rich in protein, there is an increased risk for these types of diseases and problems to occur. These are the unannounced risks of the Atkins diet, since they are mostly circumstantial. However, if Atkins cared more about the research instead of the money flowing into his pocket, maybe there wouldn’t be a need to warn others of these more serious risks.

Diet side effects

Many people claim the Atkins diet worked for them. Yet for countless others, results have escaped them. There also seem to be several undesirable side effect. Often, these side effects were not overtly bad, but any side effect can be done without. [1]

Some side effects include diarrhea, constipation, headache, muscle cramps, general weakness, and rashes. Carbohydrates are needed for the human body to function properly, so long periods without carbohydrates can be potentially hazardous. Generally, the side effects were not serious enough for dieters to stop following their regimen, and many even continued dieting longer than low-fat dieters, with about the same results.

However, more serious side effects may occur. As stated in a previous post, most or all of the weight loss is due to loss of water. This loss of water is what causes many side effects such as constipation or diarrhea. One person even reported anal fissure after starting the Atkins diet. This is definitely not a pleasant experience, as one might guess. Some people actually need carbohydrates for their bodies to function correctly, so a total withdrawal from carbohydrates will have a negative effect on their lifestyle.

Because of such side effects as constipation, it is recommended that the dieter drink plenty of water. Given that their diet is not low-calorie, but still low-carbohydrate, they will lose little or no weight.

Furthermore, people who abuse this diet by restricting themselves to low-carbohydrate foods, but still consume fatty foods and eat more calories than they burn, will not lose weight. They may even cause harm to themselves by stressing their heart with large fat and cholesterol levels. Short term weight loss is possible, but for the long term, strictly low-carbohydrate is not enough. However, if a low-carbohydrate, low-calorie diet is followed correctly, long term weight loss is definitely possible. Of course, any one diet will not work for everyone, so limited results will occur. [2]

Behold, the end of the Atkins fad is coming to a close. Many people have benefited from the diet, but many have hopelessly failed, becoming unhappy during their dieting only to find they soon regain the lost weight. Perhaps this is why the low-carbohydrate craze is becoming less popular in the first place, making way for some other new diet to take its place, boasting a different reason for its success. No doubt there will again be a diet concocted to attract the attention of the general public, starting another weight-watching agitation. We shall only wait and see.

How wrong was Dr. Atkins?

Is there some truth to the Atkins diet? Is the scientific community too skeptical towards it? This informative article, serves as a great follow up to Dr. Schwarz’s essay, and provides a clear answer to both these questions. According to the author, the Atkins diet is based upon the idea that the secretion of insulin causes weight gain. Dr. Atkins suggests limiting Carbohydrate intake to decrease insulin production; this is the first evident fallacy. Foods like cheese and beef, which Dr. Atkins proposed, are actually accompanied by a higher insulin level than Carbohydrates. In fact, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that meat causes more insulin secretion than any other food tested. So theoretically, the Atkins diet should be accompanied by tremendous weight gain, not loss. So, how are some people getting positive results?

The answer is quiet simply, “water.” Fat in the body, is burned with carbohydrates. When the body is lacking carbohydrate fuel, it has to resort to an ineffective way to burn fats, which produces toxic by-products such as acetone, and other “ketones”. As the concentration of these by-products increases, the body has to use water to wash them out of our system. In fact, a person may lose as much as a gallon of water in the first week. This is one aspect which contributes to the weight loss.

The other aspect is one already mentioned by Dr. Schwarz: the fact that the Atkins diet is usually a low-calorie diet as well. So if the weight loss actually occurs, it’s not associated with the carbohydrate intake, but rather with the low-calorie intake. Dr. Atkins argued however, that “he could lose 85 pounds, without exercising, eating an incredible 5,500 calories a day.” This is however contradicted by the First law of Thermodynamics (ΔU=Q-W; ΔU is the Change in internal Energy which in this case would be energy stored or fat, Q is Heat added to the system or the 5000 calories, W is the work done by the system in this case exercise).

Not only is the Atkins diet filled with fallacies, they are huge and obvious ones, which should have been noticed by Dr. Atkins. It makes you wonder, did Dr. Atkins really believe in what he was saying, or was he just after our wallets?

Origins of the Low-Carb Diet

Although he was the man who created by far one of the most popular diet systems in recent years, Dr. Robert Atkins was not the first man to come up with a "low-carb" diet. Mr. William Banting, an English coffin maker, was actually the first to experiment with this sort of diet, with the help of Dr. William Harvey.

This all began when Banting started putting on weight. He tried several methods to no avail. Eventually, after years of weight struggle, he went to Dr. Harvey for problems with his hearing and eyesight, among other health issues. Harvey decided that Banting's illnesses were due to his obesity, and put him on a diet, after which fat seemingly dropped off of Banting's spherical torso. Harvey decided that if Banting refrained from eating starches, specifically bread, milk, sugar, beer, potatoes, and butter (which actually does not contain starch), he should lose body fat.

In 1863, Banting wrote a pamphlet about this revolutionary weight loss technique, entitled Letter on Corpulence Addressed to the Public. In this pamphlet, carbohydrates were not specifically prohibited at all, but other foods, including all root crops, were not recommended. Other vegetables were considered acceptable to eat, although peas appear to have led to some weight gain. Additionally, instead of three large meals per day, Banting recommended four medium sized meals. Finally, Banting proposed an experimental-based diet once a desired weight was achieved. He suggested that dieters try various foods which they were disallowed during the first phase of the diet, but only for a short time. If no excess weight was gained during this period, they were then allowed to eat that food. If the opposite is true, they should not eat that food anymore. In this method, dieters would be able to discover which foods were safe to eat without undesirable results, even if the food may cause weight gain in other people due to differences in body chemistry.

Some more classifications of the diet include skimming fat off of jellies and gravies and not eating much, or any, sugar. Exercise is not a factor in this diet, as Banting proposes that by diet alone will one lose weight and excess fat. Also, Harvey realized that flour would break down into sugar (considered bad) and should not be eaten.

However, Banting was by no means taken seriously. He was not a doctor, and had no scientific evidence to back up his weight loss claim.

Luckily, nearly 100 years later, Dr. Atkins rediscovered this diet, except he had some scientific proof to back it up. Although the public was very wary at first, they were swayed by the overwhelming results. The rest is history. Today, the Atkins diet is so popular that there are literally hundreds, possibly thousands, of low-carb foods and dietary supplements.

So,next time you're at the dinner table, or you hear someone talking about the new low-carb food craze, you can tell them, "Ah yes, 'twas not Atkins who discovered the world of low-carb, 'twas Mister Banting."

The word of diet savior, Dr. Atkins.

The Atkins diet was formed by Dr. Robert Atkins as an idea that a low-carbohydrate diet would serve better for weight loss than a low fat diet. It is currently being promoted as the diet which can improve your energy, appearance, and sense of well being. This can be achieved by following four simple steps, each step having a guideline for the carbohydrate intake. The suggested intake also helps the dieter determine what foods they can enjoy while still obeying the guidelines.

Phase 1: Induction is the first step of the Atkins diet. It tells the reader to restrict their carbohydrate consumption to twenty grams every day, mostly from salads and other starchy food substances. This step is to set a standard amount of carbohydrates the body will learn to live with.

Phase 2: Ongoing Weight Loss is the second phase of the Atkins diet. For those who are dieting and are experiencing ongoing weight loss, it is suggested to increase carbohydrates by five grams per week until weight loss stops. Then, the daily consumption of carbohydrates is lowered five grams for moderate weight loss.

Phase 3: Pre-Maintenance is the third step. Every week, the daily carbohydrate intake is increased by ten grams, as long as gradual weight loss is maintained. This allows for more types of foods to be introduced into the diet while still losing the same amount of weight.

Phase 4: Lifetime Maintenance is more of a guideline than a step. It states to the dieter that they should control carbohydrate intake during the diet while choosing from a wide variety of foods.

To summarize the diet, carbohydrate intake is limited until weight loss occurs. Then, more carbohydrates are introduced into the diet so that the weight loss halts. After the weight loss reaches zero, five grams of carbohydrates are taken out of the diet daily to resume more moderate weight loss. Finally, more carbohydrates are added in the end as long as the weight loss is maintained. It is assumed that the body would be able to adjust to the carbohydrate intake while still moderately losing weight. By increasing the carbohydrate intake every week, dieters would have a larger selection of foods to choose from, creating the diet Dr. Atkins and many other people dreamed of.

When will Dr. Atkins be able to say “I told you so”?

Dr. Joe Schwarcz’s The Fly in the Ointment is a slightly comical, yet scientifically sound attempt at refuting common public misconceptions about the “Science of Everyday Life.” One of the largest and most popular misconceptions Dr. Schwarcz tackles is dieting. In his commentary “High on Protein," Dr. Schwarcz explains the history, statistics, and fundamental mistakes of the popular Atkins diet.

Dr. Atkins proposed a low-carbohydrate diet, one which is low or lacking carbohydrates (as suggested by the name), and is very rich in fat and proteins. Surprisingly the diet is not accompanied by unfavorable changes in cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Later entries will describe the diet itself in more detail.

Although Dr. Atkins is the most popular proponent of the low-carbohydrate diet, the person who first came up with the idea was actually William Banting. A nineteenth-century coffin maker, Banting began to rapidly put on weight in his thirties. By the age of sixty-four his frail structure of barely 5 feet and 5 inches had to support an excess of 200 pounds. Soon even his eyesight and hearing began to fail. He consulted Dr. William Harvey, who suggested that Banting give up bread, butter, milk, sugar, beer, and potatoes. Within a year, Banting regained his vision and hearing, and lost 46 lbs. However effective, the “Banting Diet” was ridiculed by the medical society for being unscientific.

In the 1960’s, Dr. Atkins created a diet systems based on Banting’s ideas. Yet just as like Banting, Atkins was ridiculed by the medical society. Yet recently, Atkins cashed in on his ideas, writing best-selling diet books appealing to the public and therefore gaining tremendous popularity all over the world. In 2003, Dr. Atkins wrote in an article for Time magazine, “At what point am I allowed to say, 'I told you so?'”. However, the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support that Atkins diet really worked. Whenever low-carbohydrate diets worked, they were also low-calorie diets. Weight loss therefore was not associated with carbohydrates. Some of Atkins’ ideas, such as decreasing the intake of refined sugar, are actually well justified; however, there exists no solid evidence to show that weight loss is associated with the intake of carbohydrates. So as Dr. Schwarcz put it, the simple answer to Dr. Atkins’ question is “never."