If you have a certain amount of fat, then your body will respond differently physiologically to a certain food intake, or to a certain exercise, than someone else.
And one other thing about Atkins -- some people like to use Eskimos as an example of how people can eat high-fat, high-protein all the time without cardiovascular consequences (I think Taubes mentioned a study with a couple of people living on an Eskimo-type diet without getting scurvy, and which tracked their blood lipid profiles as well). One thing I have wondered is whether anyone as controlled for
a) ambient temperature (while at the MN State Fair I saw a presentation by some Arctic or Antarctic explorers who explained that they have to eat 5,000 calories A DAY to stay alive or they would freeze to death: the only way to get those calories in a form compact enough to bring along is to eat a pound or more of butter every day. They had a contest to see who could eat a stick of butter the fastest...)
b) race, somewhat correlated with the above, as Negros seem to be more associated with equatorial climes than polar; and also because their higher melanin content makes it harder for them to synthesize vitamin D with exposure to sunlight, whereas there is not enough direct sunlight for much of the year in higher latitudes. And vitamin D is being found to be important in a gazillion cellular processes, why not look to see if it is involved in metabolism as well?
Cheers!
Ever read Weston Price’s research on eating right for your genetic type?
That explains why the eskimos can eat one diet and not be unhealthy but it might not work for others.
Price found some people in Africa that existed on cow meat, cow milk, cow blood, and a few berries. They were extremely healthy, with good bone structure, good teeth, strong muscles, and very lean. They were eating the same diet that their ancestors had for centuries, which their genetics were primed for, so they had no problem thriving on it.
Price’s contention was that there was no one right diet for the human race. Not surprisingly, one size doesn’t fit all. But try and tell that to the dieticians. They won’t accept it at all.
At any rate, I give Taubes' book the highest recommendation. I've read thousands of books in my life and in terms of impact on my life, "Good Calories, Bad Calories" is one of the three or four most important books I've ever read.