Diet Deception: The Atkin’s Diet

The Premise:

A high protein, high fat and low carbohydrate (little or no food containing carbs) diet will produce dramatic weight loss. One of the most popular diets out there from the controversial bestseller by Dr. Richard Atkins.

The Provisions:

A sample of the Atkins Diet menu includes: Breakfast: four slices of bacon, two scrambled eggs and decaf coffee. Lunch: Bacon cheeseburger without bun, salad without dressing and water. Dinner: Shrimp cocktail, mustard, mayo, clear beef broth, T-bone steak, salad, sugar-free jello and whipped cream.

The Promise: 

If you want weight loss, this is it! This diet guarantees rapid weight loss you’ve never seen before.

The Proof:

Jake, 30, a marketing manager said, “I went on the Atkins diet for three weeks and lost 10 pounds before I was hospitalized. My cholesterol levels were off the charts, my blood pressure was dangerously high, and I experienced fainting spells. I lost weight because of my hospitalization more than the diet. I don’t think I’ll do this diet again.”

The Prognosis:

No doubt you’ll loss weight- high protein, low carb weight-loss diets are designed to induce ketosis, an abnormal state also found in uncontrolled diabetes and starvation. Ketosis has also been known to cause some degree of anorexia or even euphoria. Dr. Atkins considers ketosis as a necessary state to induce weight loss, completely ignoring all other health concerns related to it. Some of the conditions you can expect if you follow this regimen long-term are: colorectal cancer due to lack of fiber from carbs (proven by the World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research, Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer); heart disease due to the decreased efficiency of the arteries by saturated fats in red meat (according to the American Heart Association and Red Cross); kidney dysfunction from very large amounts of protein (from a study conducted by the American Academy of Family Physicians); diabetes complications- diabetes itself affects the heart and the kidneys and going on a diet known to affect these organs will only result in further complications; and osteoporosis- high protein diets induce urinary calcium loss resulting to increased risk in fractures.

The Pros’ Position:

“Even Dr. Atkins himself wasn’t able to defend his own diet in a convention where his own peers, several nutritionists and dieticians were present, “says Dr. Sanirose Orbeta, a nutritionist. She adds, “This is one of the most popular recycled food plans to date. As a health care practitioner, our major concern is your long-term safety. Consider anything that cuts out a major food group like carbohydrates as a warning signal for a diet which is both unhealthy and dangerous. I’ve had to treat several patients who actually felt the adverse effects of this diet and totally revamp their eating choices. Effects can be long-standing and lethal. Thankfully I haven’t [had any patients] experiencing anything near fatal but why let it come to that? If you’re on it, consider getting off it before serious damage sets in.”


Image: 
bacon: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sxld/3439651256/
bacon cheeseburger: http://www.flickr.com/photos/waferboard/4449825083/