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Fad Diets: The Atkins Diet
By: Nancy T. Smith, MS, RD, CDE
| Question: My best friend started on a low carb diet and lost 8 pounds in the first week without exercise! Should I expect the same results if I try it? |
Answer:
The initial rapid
weight loss on low carbohydrate diets is probably due to fluid loss.
These diets do reduce calorie intake so people who
follow high fat, high protein diets lose weight, but at what costs
to their health?
Low carbohydrate diets like the "Atkins Diet", "Carbohydrate Addicts Program" and "Protein Power" have really been making headline news for the past several months. We all know people who have lost weight on one of these plans, but you should consult with your dietitian before making any drastic changes to your diet. Below are some facts about low carbohydrate diets.
The Atkins Diet
In Dr. Atkin's New Diet Revolution, the author makes several claims that are contradicted by current scientific knowledge. He claims that his diet can reverse heart disease, but has published no data to prove this. In contrast, Dean Ornish, author of Eat More, Weigh Less, has published data in scientific journals proving that a very low fat diet as part of a healthy lifestyle program can reverse heart disease.
Dr. Atkins claims his diet will lower cholesterol levels, despite the fact that it is very high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Often, when an individual is cutting calories to lose weight, cholesterol will go down, at least temporarily. However, eating lots of animal fat is risky. For example, at a recent heart fair health screening, I met several people who found that their cholesterol rose while they lost weight on a low carbohydrate, high fat diet.
Studies of large groups of people find that those people who eat more plant food like whole grains, fruits and vegetables have lower risk of heart disease and cancer than people who eat a lot of animal fat. The Atkins diet allows for almost no grains or fruits.
Nutrient Limitations
The Atkins diet menus are very low in milk products except for high fat cheese, thereby limiting your sources of calcium. Recent studies have indicated calcium foods play an important role in weight control. You would have to eat a half pound of cheese every day to meet the 1000mg calcium per day recommended for most adults.
The American Heart Association (AHA) does not recommend high protein diets because "they restrict healthful foods that provide essential nutrients and do not provide the variety of foods needed to adequately meet nutrition needs." The AHA also points out the increased risk of potential heart, kidney, bone and liver problems.
Long-Term Risks
A recent study published in the American Journal of Kidney Disease found that low carbohydrate diets can increase the risk of kidney stones and possibly increase the risk of bone loss. In a recent rating of popular diets, The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine gave the Atkins diet zero stars (up to 5 possible). They point out that high fat, high protein eating patterns can increase the risk of colon cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and kidney failure. They warn against use of a high fat, high protein diet for anyone who already has had kidney stones or has heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease or colon cancer.
Nancy Smith is a registered, licensed dietitian and a certified diabetes educator. She works with the Tallahassee Memorial Diabetes Center specializing in the education and management of diabetes and cholesterol problems.
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