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Saturday, 02 June 2007 |
 The Atkins Diet represents a departure from prevailing theories. Atkins claimed there are two main unrecognized factors about Western eating habits, arguing firstly that the main cause of obesity is eating refined carbohydrates, particularly sugar, flour, and high-fructose corn syrups; and secondly, that saturated fat is overrated as a nutritional problem, and that only trans fats from sources such as hydrogenated oils need to be avoided. Consequently, Dr. Atkins rejects the advice of the food pyramid, instead asserting that the tremendous increase in refined carbohydrates is responsible for the rise in metabolic disorders of the 20th century, and that the focus on the detrimental effects of dietary fat has actually contributed to the obesity problem by increasing the proportion of insulin-inducing foods in the diet. While most of the emphasis in Atkins is on the diet, nutritional supplements and exercise are considered equally important elements.
Atkins involves the restriction of carbohydrates in order to switch the
body's metabolism from burning glucose to burning stored body fat. This
process (called lipolysis) begins when the body enters the state of
ketosis as a consequence of running out of excess carbohydrates to
burn. Dr. Atkins in his book New Diet Revolution claimed that the
low-carb diet produces a "metabolic advantage" where the body burns
more calories, overall, than on normal diets, and also expels some
unused calories. He cited one study where he estimated this advantage
to be 950 calories a day.
Atkins restricts "net carbs", or carbs that have an effect on blood
sugar. Net carbohydrates can be calculated from a food source by
subtracting sugar alcohols and fiber (which are shown to have a
negligible effect on blood sugar levels) from total carbohydrates.
Sugar alcohols need to be treated with caution, because while they may
be slower to convert to glucose, they can be a significant source of
glycemic load and can stall weight loss. Fructose (eg, as found in many
industrial sweeteners) also contributes to caloric intake, though
outside of the glucose-insulin control loop.
Preferred foods in all categories are whole, unprocessed foods with a
low glycemic load.
There are four phases of the Atkins diet: induction, ongoing weight
loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance.
[edit] Induction
The Induction phase is the first, and most restrictive, phase of the
Atkins Nutritional Approach. It is intended to cause the body to
quickly enter a state of ketosis. Carbohydrate intake is limited to 20
net grams per day (grams of carbohydrates minus grams of fiber), 12 to
15 net grams of which must come in the form of salad greens and other
vegetables. The allowed foods include a liberal amount of all meats,
fish, shellfish, fowl, and eggs; up to 4 ounces of hard cheese; salad
vegetables; other low carb vegetables; and butter and vegetable oils.
Alcoholic beverages are not allowed during this phase [1]. Caffeine is
allowed in moderation so long as it does not cause cravings or low
blood sugar. If a caffeine addiction is evident, it is best to not
allow it until later phases of the diet.[2] A daily multivitamin with
minerals is also recommended.
The Induction Phase is usually when many see the most significant
weight loss — reports of losses of 5 to 10 pounds per week are not
uncommon when Induction is combined with daily exercise.
Atkins suggests the use of Ketostix, small chemically reactive strips
used by diabetics. These let the dieter monitor when they enter the
ketosis, or fat burning, phase.
However, simply watching your weight will work. Weight loss will vary
by person, especially based on the amount needed to lose, but most
people average approximately 10% of their total weight loss within the
Induction period. Other indicators of ketosis include a metallic taste
in the mouth, or bad breath.
[edit] Ongoing weight loss
The Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase of Atkins consists of an increase
in carbohydrate intake, but remaining at levels where weight loss
occurs.
The target daily carbohydrate intake increases each week by 2
net grams. A goal in OWL is to find the "Critical Carbohydrate Level
for Losing" and to learn in a controlled manner how food groups in
increasing glycemic levels and foods within that group affect your
craving control. The OWL phase lasts until weight is within 10 pounds
(4.5 kg) of the target weight. At first weeks you should add more of
the induction acceptable vegetables to your daily products. For
example, 6-8 stalks of asparagus, salad, one cup of cauliflower or one
half of avocado. The next week you should follow the carbohydrate
ladder Dr Atkins created for this phase and add fresh dairy. The ladder
has 9 rungs and should be added in order given.
One can skip a rung if
one does not intend to include that food group in one's permanent way
of eating such as the alcohol rung.
The rungs are as follows: * Induction acceptable vegetables * Fresh
dairy * Nuts * Berries * Alcohol * Legumes * Other fruits * Starchy vegetables * Grains
[edit] Pre-maintenance
Carbohydrate intake is increased again this time by 10 net carbs a week
from the ladder groupings, and the key goal in this phase is to find
the "Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance", this is the maximum
number of carbohydrates you can eat each day without gaining weight.
This may well be above the level of carbohydrates inducing ketosis on a
testing stick. As a result, it is not necessary to maintain a positive
ketosis test long term.
[edit] Lifetime maintenance
This phase is intended to carry on the habits acquired in the previous
phases, and avoid the common end-of-diet mindset that can return people
to their previous habits and previous weight.
Whole, unprocessed food
choices are emphasized, with the option to drop back to an earlier
phase if you begin to gain weight.
[edit] Popularity
The Atkins Nutritional Approach gained widespread popularity in 2003
and 2004. At the height of its popularity one in eleven North-American
adults were on the diet [3]. This large following was blamed for large
declines in the sales of carb-heavy foods like pasta and rice (sales
were down 8.2 and 4.6 percent, respectively, in 2003 [4]). The diet's
success was even blamed for a decline in Krispy Kreme sales [5]. Trying
to capitalize on the "low-carb craze," many companies released special
product lines that were low in carbohydrates. Coca-Cola released C2 and
Pepsi-Cola created Pepsi Edge, which was scheduled to be discontinued
later in 2005. Unlike the sugar-free soft drinks Diet Coke and Diet
Pepsi, which had been available for decades, these new drinks used a
blend of traditional sweetener and the diet drinks' artificial
sweeteners to offset the allegedly inferior artificial sweetener
flavor. These "half-and-half" drinks declined in popularity as soft
drink makers learned to use newer sweeteners to mask the flavor of
aspartame (or completely replace it) in reformulated diet drinks such
as Coca-Cola Zero and Pepsi ONE.
Robert Atkins died from a fatal head injury sustained in a fall on ice
in 2003.
The nutritional plan suffered from rumors and allegations that
he was obese at the time and had died from a heart condition as a
result. On July 31, 2005, the Atkins Nutritional company filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after the percentage of adults on the
diet declined to two percent and sales of Atkins brand product fell
steeply in the second half of 2004.
The Low Carb Revolution was a one-hour (with commercials) documentary
television special on the Atkins diet. The special, which aired on Food
Network Canada, on April 25, 2004, described how this diet works, had
success stories, and quickly presented some recipes.
[edit] Criticism
Many people are under the misconception that meat with high fat is a
typical meal in the Atkins diet. In reality, Atkins dieters avoid high
glycemic index foods such as Coca Cola, fruit juice and potatoes while
enjoying a daily salad including plenty of leafy greens.
Many people are under the misconception that meat with high fat is a
typical meal in the Atkins diet. In reality, Atkins dieters avoid high
glycemic index foods such as Coca Cola, fruit juice and potatoes while
enjoying a daily salad including plenty of leafy greens.
An analysis conducted by Forbes magazine found that the Atkins
Nutritional Approach (the boxed retail food product created by Atkins
to facilitate the Atkins diet) is one of the five most expensive diet
plans of the ten plans Forbes analyzed.
Although Forbes found that
Atkins diet was significantly less expensive than Jenny Craig and only
slightly more expensive than Weight Watchers, the Atkins diet
nevertheless involved more than an 80% premium over average American
food expenses. [6]
Low-carbohydrate diets have been the subject of heated debate in
medical circles for three decades. They are still controversial and
only recently has any serious research supported some aspects of
Atkins' claims, especially for short-term weight-loss (6 months or
less).
But many in the scientific community also raise serious concerns: *
Dr. Robert Eckel of the American Heart Association says that
high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets put people at risk of heart
disease [7]; however, a long term study published in the New England
Journal of Medicine in 2006 found that women reduced heart disease risk
by eating more protein and fat from vegetable sources [8]. * A 2001
scientific review by Obesity Research magazine concluded that low-carb
dieters' initial advantage in weight loss was a result of increased
water loss, and that after the initial period, low-carb diets produce
similar fat loss to other diets with similar caloric intake. [9] *
The
May 2004 Annals of Internal Medicine study showed that Atkins Dieters
had significantly more diarrhea, general weakness, rashes and muscle
cramps. Atkins.com now suggests a fiber supplement. * Also, acidity
from the typically high protein intake can cause Osteoporosis.[3]
Opponents of the diet also point out that the initial weight loss upon
starting the diet is a phenomenon common with most diets, and is due to
reduction in stored glycogen and related water in muscles, not fat
loss.
They claim that no evidence has surfaced that any diet will cause
weight loss unless it reduces food energy (calories) below the
maintenance level, and reports have indicated that successful weight
loss due to the Atkins diet may be the result of less food energy being
consumed by the dieter, rather than the lack of carbohydrates. [10]
They further point out that weight loss on fad diets, which typically
restrict or prohibit certain foods, is often due to the fact that the
dieter has fewer food choices available. Also, a diet of low-carb foods
may quickly become dull to many people, meaning that their appetite is
somewhat naturally suppressed as they become hungry for carbs, but the
dieter either has none handy or resists this hunger.
It is claimed that there is bad breath and fatigue under the Atkins
diet: [11], [12], and Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine 68(2001):
p.761.
The presence of acetone in the breath of an Atkins dieter may
indeed be detectable during ketosis, and in fact, quantitative
measurement of acetone concentration in exhalation is a reliable
indicator of ketosis [13].
On May 27, 2004, Jody Gorran, a 53-year-old Florida businessman with a
family history of heart disease, filed a lawsuit against Atkins
Nutritionals, Inc. and the estate of Dr. Robert Atkins, claiming that
the Atkins diet regimen caused severe heart disease, making it
necessary for him to undergo angioplasty. He sought a court injunction
banning Atkins Nutritionals from marketing its products without a
warning of potential health risks, and asking for compensatory damages.
Gorran's complaint was dismissed by the court in December 2006 as being
meritless, with the court stating, "Defendants' books and food products
are not defective or dangerous products within the meaning of products
liability law."[4]
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a PETA-connected,
anti-meat eating organization which is opposed to the Atkins diet,
states that in East Asian countries such as Thailand or Japan, the
average person's diet consists of mainly carbohydrates such as rice and
noodles, yet these groups have very low rates of obesity. If so, this
may contradict Atkins' claim that high levels of carbohydrate
consumption cause obesity, although studies show that obesity is
increasing in Asia.[5] In addition, coronary heart disease is much less
prevalent in Asia.[6]
Information Supplied by Wikipedia
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Diet Reviews 
