What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?

The New York Times Magazine ^ | 07/07/2002 | GARY TAUBES

[FreedomFriend]

Currently, my brother is on the Low carb diet. He has lost 25 pounds within a month.

However, on my low fat/exercise diet, I lost fifteen pounts my first month.

The problem with the Atkins diet is that if you get off it, you're very likely to gain your weight back rather quickly.

[FreedomFriend]

I've heard that a low-carb diet is the way to go. Your body needs some carbohydrates. I've heard that cutting out all carbs can effect your alertness, memory, and conscienceness. However, I'm not sure if that is just an urban legand. Does anyone know?

[ghostrider]

The only effective and healthful "weigh" to lose weight is to engage in moderate aerobic excercise, and moderate weight training (and to limit fat intake).

I was told by one who was on the Adkins Diet that they could lose the weight because the body can't efficiently metabolize the fat calories without the Carbohydrates. I don't know if that is true, but I have seen a lot of folks lose weight on the Adkins diet.

For me, the issue is not losing the weight. The issue is keeping my arteries clear. For that we need to severely limit the saturated fat. Monounsaturated fat found in canola and olive actually lead to a Higher HDL and a lower LDL (very, very good). Pig fat is very bad. Olive fat is very good. Limiting saturated fat is only half the battle. As you said, exercise is required to burn the carbohydrate calories. The answer is a combination of exercise, moderate eating and low saturated fat. We will lose weight, and we can slow, stop or occasionally reverse artery disease.

[HangThemHigh]

"Exercise contributes very little - if any - to weight loss after a certain age"

I don't want to get involved in the fat/protein/carbs "debate", but the key to weight loss is to eat fewer calories than you burn, regardless of age. True, older folks tend to be more sedentary and prone to injury, making exercise less likely, but no less effective.

Extreme examples:

Pro bicycle riders will lose 10 lbs or more during the two week Tour de France race on a diet of 10,000+ calories per day.

On the other hand I've seen anorexics starve themselves to death on a few hundred calories per day and zero exercise.

[Dana113]

I will bet one hundred dollars that my body fat % (benifiting FR) is lower than yours.

Waiting...................

[Dana113]

The problem with the Atkins diet is that if you get off it, you're very likely to gain your weight back rather quickly.

FF, You will gain the weight back very quickly if you quit any diet and go back to your old way of eating. A diet cannot work if you aren't on it. That is not a problem with Atkins, but with human physiology.

[pgkdan]

All I can say is thank God for Dr. Atkins. 110 lbs later, free from the symptoms of diabetes, sleep apnea, acid reflux and hypertension, triglycerides that were in the 1600-1700 range now at around 100 and more energy than since I was a teenager, I feel qualified to say that Dr. Atkins knows what he's talking about.

[Hamza01]

''What right,'' Handler asked, ''has the federal government to propose that the American people conduct a vast nutritional experiment, with themselves as subjects, on the strength of so very little evidence that it will do them any good?''

This article defines precisely why government sh-theads should stay out of the lives of the citizenry. Their "lowfat" dietary push has essentially killed off millions of people by inducing higher obesity and heart disease.

This could be a campaign issue. After all, Gore and Clinton said GOP environmental policy was killing children and old people. Perhaps we should suggest that Liberal dietary policies have killed millions.

[FreedomFriend]

Of course, you will gain weight if you back to your old ways of eating, regardless of what type of diet you are on. My point is that the weight seems to come back much quicker after being on the Atkins Diet. As far as I can tell, weight is slower to return if the individual has been on a lowfat-exercise diet.

[Dana113]

Pardek,

What does your photo prove? Is that supposed to show me your BF%? Can you tell mine by looking at my pic?

http://saturn.he.net/~danger/f reepnet/album/pictures/Dana113 .jpg

[Senator Pardek]

LOL - I take it by your handle that your female - you have both your boobies and backside to deal with (thank goodness - as the average man would say).

You have no chance - I keep myself in shape, and you are born with negatives.

[Dana113]

FF,I don't agree with that and the reason is because a low fat diet causes one's metabolism to decline more than it was before because of the calorie/fat deprivation. Studies show that when the body is deprived of fat that the metabolism slows to accomodate the deprivation mode. The body protects the stored body fat even more.

When they go back to thier old way of eating - which more low fat eaters do than low carb dieters - the weight comes on more quickly because the metabolism is slower than what it was to begin with.

Even so, with any diet, if you QUIT the diet, you will just gain all the weight back - quick or slow. And that is not the fault of the diet. A diet can't work if you aren't on it.

[Dana113]

You have no chance - I keep myself in shape, and you are born with negatives

I don't think so, I am MUCH cuter than you! That is not aq negative. 5 points for cute.

[general_re]

marker for the morning...

[The Great Satan]

''What right,'' Handler asked, ''has the federal government to propose that the American people conduct a vast nutritional experiment, with themselves as subjects, on the strength of so very little evidence that it will do them any good?''

More politicized science bites the dust, leaving a trail of dead bodies in its wake. Heavens to betsy, next they'll be saying HIV isn't the cause of AIDS.

[Marie Antoinette]

I just started less than 2 weeks ago, and although I can't quantify the weight loss (no scale), I am keeping track of measurements. Lost 2 1/2 inches off my hips the first week. No more evil cravings and I feel much less hungry, my portions of food at every meal are much smaller than they were 2 weeks ago!

Good luck, stick with it!

[Nam Vet]

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat are really good friends.

Nam Vet

[Nam Vet]

It's frustrating when you know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.

Nam Vet

[mercy]

Did you read the article?

[Nam Vet]

It is bad to suppress laughter; it goes back down and spreads to your hips.

Nam Vet