ATKINS ALERT

THE DAILY RECORD ^ | Aug 13 2003 | Keith Mcleod

[carlo3b]

News
ATKINS ALERT

Aug 13 2003

Diet followers at risk, says expert

Keith Mcleod

SLIMMERS following the controversial Atkins diet are gambling with their health, a nutrition expert has warned.

Dr Susan Jebb said it would be "negligent" to recommend the diet, favoured by stars such as Geri Halliwell and Catherine Zeta-Jones, to anyone overweight.

Millions of people around the world have tried the low-carbohydrate, high-protein regime.

But Dr Jebb, of the Medical Research Council's Human Nutrition Research Centre in Cambridge, said its claimed benefits were based on "pseudo-science".

She argued that, despite a number of studies, no one knew what the long- term effects might be.

Dr Robert Atkins, who developed the diet, believed that carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, rice and starchy vegetables made the body produce too much insulin.

He claimed that led to hunger and weight gain.

His answer was to avoid such foods and eat unlimited amounts of fat and protein, leading the body to burn fat.

But Dr Jebb said such a dramatic change in eating habits was a leap in the dark.

For most people, protein accounts for a mere 15 per cent of their calorie intake. But much higher levels are eaten on the Atkins diet.

Dr Jebb said: "We simply do not know the long-term health implications.

"I certainly think we should be adopting a precautionary principle in terms of public health."

Her warning comes two months after two teams of American scientists declared the Atkins diet was effective and safe.

They found that over six months, 63 Atkins slimmers lost almost twice as much weight, an average of one and a half stone.

After a year, the gap had closed though, with the Atkins dieters down to an average weight loss of a stone compared with half a stone for others.

But Dr Jebb said the studies were too limited to provide meaningful evidence.

Dr Atkins died in April, aged 72, after slipping on ice outside his New York office and hitting his head.

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[Trust but Verify]

I also do not eat much meat. I don't like fish, so I eat a lot of poultry. Pork is next, with beef last. I could go without meat 70% of the time. I enjoy pasta, but it's potatoes that have my heart.

[Trust but Verify]

The willpower to lose weight for me came at the same time as gallbladder trouble. Something just 'clicked' in my mind and told me it was time. I hope that will happen for you someday. When it does, seize the moment! You will never regret it.

Good luck!!

[dansangel]

I love when you talk like that!!!! {{{{A PASTA HUG}}}}

I *knew* you'd appreciate that - (((((((Carlo))))))))

:-)

[radiohead]

The Endocrinology Society came out a few years ago recommending a modified Atkins diet for diabetics. Watching carbs (not just counting them as touted by the ADA) and staying away from the white carbs will do wonders for anyone's BG count.

The Zone and the South Beach Diet are 2 well known versions that cut down on the saturated fat allowed by Atkins (I don't think this is a bad idea), but allow more veggies to start. Depending on what you can stick with (which is the key), all three diets should help any diabetic.

Oh yeah, I forgot Sugar Busters - I went off my meds for 3 years following that program. Menopause screws up everything and I've had to go back on meds, but like Ahhnold, I'll be baaack. I've been doing South Beach for less than a week and have had to reduce my meds already. I haven't seen BG numbers this low for years.

The American Diabetic Assn. should be ashamed for touting the exchange diet or telling people they can eat any carb they want, but just to count total carbs.

Why does anything Atkins get so much attention on FR?? : )

[dansangel]

I enjoy pasta, but it's potatoes that have my heart.

Potatoes run close second. When I've had a good week, I reward myself on Saturday with a plate of fries! LOL!

[lsucat]

Very interesting. I was on an extremely lowfat diet when I was in college and ended up having my gall bladder removed at a very young age. My doctor was puzzled as to why I would have gall bladder problems at nineteen.

[myrabach]

I'm not exactly sure, without having the Atkin's book in hand... but I believe the diet has been used for over 30 years. One would think long term effects could be studied by now, and in fact, there are results over time given in his books. Perhaps Dr. Susan doesn't know how to do retrospective research?????

[Mamzelle]

re: Yeah ... :) Psst don't tell your doctor what your doing. He/she will have a heart attack. Their misguided ways is their RELGION and they take it VERY personally when you reject their ridiculous opinion)))

In yer dreams. A doc, my own doc, who'd slimmed down and buffed up, put me onto a locarb life. The food pyramid was taught by the dietician establishment in medical school. They believed what *we* believed, because that's what the medical journals supported at the time. Better science will take care of this problem.

[Mamzelle]

The fact about gall bladder disease: if you lose a good bit of weight, particularly if you lose it quickly, you run a higher risk of gall bladder disease. BUT--if you are overweight, you also run a higher risk of gall bladder disease.

The dieticians tried to pin the blame of GBD on Atkins--but anyone who is overweight, and anyone who loses weight, including the locarb way, increases their risk.

Fat, Fair, and Forty is one guideline. Seems to afflict a lot of overweight and middle-aged white women.

[Dusty Rose]

you have to stick with it for the rest of your life in order to keep the pounds off...

This is what concerns me about Atkins, the long term consequences and the effect on the kidneys excereting huge amounts of nitrogenous by-products of protein metabolism. That, along with the lack of fruits/veggies for their beneficial antioxidents, fiber and phytochemicals.

[lsucat]

You guys are all inspiring me. I just got home from the grocery store...boy was that hard. I did it though, and didn't buy a single thing I shouldn't have.

I have to do it this time. My husband has been diagnosed as Type 2 and, as I mentioned, he's doing well on a Sugar Busters type diet. His diagnosis was a real wake-up call. We are only 30 years old, so now is the time to do something about our health/eating habits.

Thanks again to all of you :)

[Protagoras]

But the dieticians were too busy with their "food pyramids"--turning the American table into a feedlot of grains and sugar,

There is very little money in meat when compared to grain and sugar. If you want to see a huge markup, look at breakfast cereal. The world is awash with grain but you pay a fortune for a box of grain and sugar mixed together.

[Charlie OK]

havent read the whole thread yet, but where does beer fit in on Atkins? I fear it is probably a big no-no.

[Johnbalaya]

i think there's beer out there now that very low carb

[Dusty Rose]

Unfortunately, no protein, no fat in beer. It metabolizes like a carbohydrate. Maybe a pina colada, in moderation, easy on the pineapple, heavy on the fat-laden coconut milk, with a few drops of rum flavoring...How do the Atkins people party, or do they abstain from alcohol all together?

[BibChr]

Michelob Ultra. Not bad, and (if memory serves) <3 carbs a bottle.

Not sure that regular beer is FULL of carbs, though of course it has more.

Dan

[Johnbalaya]

hehe, so 10 michelob ultra's in a two hour span would make for a very good night (with a couple of maintenance bottles after) AND stay close to the low carb plan (would probably forget how many i've had by then though) :D

[carlo3b]

Charlie, everything is relative. Measuring low-carb is in ones own mind. Ideally, no-carb is the nervana, but unpractical, and low-carb is were we all end up. Beer is not necessarally a no no. There are low carb beers on the market today, typically about 2.2 carbs per 12 oz serving. If you are unwilling to bypass the REAL BEER, at 20 carbs per can, and Lite beer, varies between 4.5 - 5.5 per. However, when comparing it to sodas, Diet Cola are 1 carb per 12 oz, and REAL COLA is 51...Lemonade is 40.... YIKES
Water is the drink of choice for any diet, containing 0... and with iced tea... 1 carb.  The wise dieter should drink plenty of water (8 to 10 glasses per day).

[Dusty Rose]

And reduce the per centage of those nasty carbs with a thick T-bone steak (or 2) while enjoying those low carb Mic's.