How Safe Is the Atkins Diet?

The Atkins Diet Seems To Never Go Away

Fad diets come and go, but The Atkins Diet, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate weight-loss plan, seems never to go away, no matter how many medical professionals denounce it.

"Low-carb diets have been linked to increased frequency of colon cancer, formation of kidney stones, kidney disease, and even osteoporosis," says Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Commission for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit research group based in Washington. "The weight loss you see in low-carb diets isn't all that much better than what you see in studies of low-fat, vegetarian diets."

A Pretty Evil Weight Loss Diet

Putting it more bluntly is Kiku Collins-Trentylon, a sports trainer in New York City, who says it's "a pretty evil diet. We all want to sit on our couches, eat nonstop, and have perfect, sculpted bodies. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way."

Meat is the culprit in low-carb diet danger, says Barnard.

"The reason for the health worries is in large part due to red meat," he says. "People who eat meat every day have three times greater risk of developing colon cancer. And then there is the problem of the kidneys. They aren't designed to work on an oil slick of fat."

Big, Fat, High Protein Controversy

In the summer of 2002, however, both Time magazine and The Sunday New York Times Magazine have published much-talked-about stories that say Atkins may not be as bad for heart health as previously believed. These stories were sparked in part by a recent study from researchers at Duke University showing most people who ate a high-protein, low-carb diet for six months lost 20 pounds.

That much was expected. What wasn't expected was that the researchers didn't see strong evidence of the diet causing any health problems. In fact, both LDL "bad" cholesterol and HDL "good" cholesterol improved.

Low Carb Diet Can Produce Significant Weight Loss

The Duke study shows part of why the diet is so popular, it can produce significant weight loss. It also produces it without a lot of annoying calorie counting and the irritability associated with diets.

Known for Easy Weight Loss

"You're not as hungry as with other diets, and that is a really good thing," says Jenny Anderson, an Internet consultant from Mamaroneck, N.Y., who is on the diet. "That makes it easier to stay on it. So does seeing results fairly quickly. One bad thing is that it forbids caffeine, and I had a lot of bad headaches from coffee withdrawal."

Another drawback to the low-carb diet is its severely limited menu options.

"At first, eggs and bacon in butter for breakfast every day is fun, but day after day of only meat and fat at every meal can get tiresome," says Anderson.

So therein lies the controversy. On one hand you have lots of stories of significant weight loss on a relatively user-friendly diet. On the other, you have dietitians and nutritionists who maintain that the weight loss produced is short-term and can threaten a person's overall health, despite the fact that the weight loss itself may have the beneficial effect of lowering cholesterol.

Who is right? Maybe both sides. It provides weight loss at a very high cost to overall health, or at least that has been the prevailing medical opinion.

Low Carbohydrate Diet May Not Be As Bad As We Thought

"There have been reports in the medical literature that say that this low-carb diet may not be as bad as we thought," says Susan Barr, registered dietitian in New York City. "That makes people interested again in this diet, but until there is more research on what stresses the diet places on the body, there is no way to know what it might be doing besides providing short-term weight loss.

You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as long as the bylines are included.

Original URL (The Web version of the article)
How Safe Is the Atkins Diet?

About The Author

Michael Lewis has been collecting articles and information on Weight Loss and HGH (Human Growth Hormone and related health benefits. He has created and edits numerous web sites about this subject. Michael is a staff writer for http://www.ageforce.com and several other websites. If you would like to contact Michael you can e-mail him at Michael@AgeForce.com or if you would like to know more about Weight Loss, HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and related health topics please visit us at http://www.ageforce.com

---

How To Get Over A Weight Loss Plateau

Everyone who has ever tried to lose weight has hit... Read More

Relieve Stress at Your Workplace: It Might Just Help You Manage Your Weight!

No doubt about it, when we feel stressed we want... Read More

Breakfast and Weight Loss

Some people think that skipping breakfast will help them lose... Read More

Weight Loss and Dieting Secret #1 ? IN and OUT

Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More

Fast Weight Loss - 7 Day Diet Program for Quick Weight Loss

Do you have a big event coming up? Perhaps you... Read More

Mamma Said: Keep Your Fingers Out Of Your Mouth

Watching television exercises our eyes but nothing else. Unfortunately, it... Read More

Dieting Tips For Fast Weight Loss - How To Jump-start Your Diet

Do you want to lose weight fast? While there is... Read More

Farewell To The Atkins Low Carb Diet

Atkins Nutritionals recently announced that they are filing for Chapter... Read More

Small Changes to Weight Loss

As much as many of us who are over-weight do... Read More

What Is Fat Burning Food and 5 Ways To Implement It Into Your Diet

Many people (especially on the net) claim that you can... Read More

Fitness: Getting Started

It seems like everywhere you turn, there is someone trying... Read More

Results Not Typical

I had 14 weight/health-oriented newsletters in my inbox this morning.... Read More

Carnitine Weight Loss Revealed: Why L-Carnitine Should Be The #1 Weight Loss Drug

Carnitine is simply the safest and healthiest supplement you can... Read More

Obesity and Weight Loss ? Muscle and the Importance of Low Body Fat!

Today you have a good chance of getting diabetes or... Read More

To Lose Weight, Feed Your Brains

When was the last time you focused so much on... Read More

Diet: Changing Your Focus

Have you ever decided to take a trip somewhere relatively... Read More

Weight-loss Tip: Add Extra Calcium to a Low-Fat Diet

Got milk? New research suggests you should if you want... Read More

Just the Cold Hard Facts About Diets, Weight Loss, Exercise and Losing Fat

This is a layman marketer's observations on diets and weight... Read More

Nothing More Powerful Than Your Words

Telling yourself you have to "struggle with this weight issue... Read More

Why Isnt My Diet Working?

Have you been on a new diet for a couple... Read More

Pizza, French Fries, Beer and Other Diet Foods

Now this is the real American Dream! I'm here to... Read More

How To Burn Fat The Easy Way...The Only Way?

You have heard enough about losing weight with various means... Read More

Fat Does Not Make You Fat

Fat does Not Make You Fat. One of the other... Read More

Scales Are For Fish, Not Weight Loss

Contrary to common belief, your weight is not really the... Read More

Before & After: A New Look at New Years Resolutions

Have you seen the ditty below that's roaming the Internet... Read More

Breast Cancer - Another Obesity Victim

Obesity raises the risk of various types of cancer. And... Read More

Why Did I Do That? How to Deal with a Lapse in Your Weight Loss Efforts

A bad day or even a bad week is not... Read More

Citric Fruits - A Healthy Food

New studies suggested once again that citric fruits including oranges,... Read More

Warning: Dramatically Improve Your Health In Just 27 Days!!!

You don't realize it, but in the next few minutes... Read More

The Ultimate Weight Loss Product Guide

Are you one of the many who may be tempted... Read More

Weight Loss Efficiency ? 10 Ways To Make The Most Out Of Your Gym Workout!

My name is Greg Ryan. I am a high profile... Read More

Forget All About That Calorie Counting Crap And Learn How To Lose Some Weight!

That's a pretty "in your face" statement, but really it's... Read More

Can You Attain Weight Loss While Fasting?

Fasting, when done properly, can be a basic part of... Read More