Atkins diet beats low-fat fare

MSNBC ^ | 11-18-02 | AP

[Paradox]

Nov. 18 — Multitudes swear by the high-fat, low-carbohydrate Atkins diet, and now a carefully controlled study backs them up: Low-carb may actually take off more weight than low-fat and may be surprisingly better for cholesterol, too.

...

Westman studied 120 overweight volunteers, who were randomly assigned to the Atkins diet or the heart association’s Step 1 diet, a widely used low-fat approach. On the Atkins diet, people limited their carbs to less than 20 grams a day, and 60 percent of their calories came from fat. “It was high fat, off the scale,” he said.

After six months, the people on the Atkins diet had lost 31 pounds, compared with 20 pounds on the AHA diet, and more people stuck with the Atkins regimen.

[Paradox]

Excerpted, click for more info: Atkins diet beats low-fat fare.

More preliminary science in support of the low-carb approach.

[RightOnline]

For those of us stuck in a time warp (or previously just didn't give a damn), in a nutshell: what is the Adkins diet?

[linn37]

its a low carb diet that works ,lost 50 lbs over a year ago and have kept it off

[LurkerNoMore!]

It is Pardek's pet peeve.

[Ciexyz]

I know someone that swears by it. She eats all the fats she wants (like mayo) but cuts out sugars incl. fruit which is high in sugar. She's lost 30 pounds.

[Mark]

My brother has been on this diet for 35 years. He appears to be in perfect health- age 61 looks like 45 year old at the most.

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Oh no, is it time for another Atkins thread?

[RightOnline]

s/b "Atkins", not "Adkins"......sorry.....bad fingers.......bad......bad.....

[SamAdams76]

Actually the Atkins Diet sucks just as badly as a low-fat diet.

Consider life under the Atkins plan...you'll be ordering cheeseburgers without the buns and you'll have to practically cut out of your diet forever such staples as rice, pasta and breads.

And here's the kicker...no beer! NO BEER!

So knock the 10 years off my life already and hand me that bottle opener...

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

I guess you should find out from the horse's mouth.

I swear by this diet and others like it, but the detractors like to make a lot of noise.

[sinkspur]

High protein, high fat, very low carbohydrate diet. Take the food pyramid promoted by the government, and invert it.

Carbohydrates are digested as sugar, sugar converts to fat, and also spikes the metabolism upward. This causes hunger, which dieters try to satisfy with "low fat" carbohydrates, which starts the cycle all over again.

Why is America so fat, with all the "low fat" food around? It's all carbohydrate, that's why. What do farmers feed pigs? Grain, and CARBOHYDRATES!

Eat like our ancestors ate: meat, some cheese, greens, and low-glycemic vegetables.

If one gets the sugar (both obvious and hidden) out of the diet, one will lose weight.

Period.

[cmsgop]

Hey Sam they have that Low Carb Beer Now. I can't remember but it was like 5 carbs a Brew.

[Thud]

ping

[Poser]

Love that Atkins' Diet. Why do so many people spell it with a D?

I lost 70 pounds two years ago. I have gained back 0 pounds and enjoy PRIME RIB as often as I want. My cholesterol dropped 60 points.

I miss pasta, but the meatballs and sausage are a good substitute.

[ikka]

Dr. Atkins' main premise is that insulin plays a big part in getting fat and having low energy. When you eat lots of carbs, insulin is produced to convert the carbs into energy. The body over-reacts and a surge of insulin sweeps through your blood, converting lots of the carbs into fat.

By avoiding carbs, you force your body to use fat for energy. Fat has two advantages: it takes longer to metabolize, and does not need insulin for the conversion. (As well, lots of fat serves as an appetitie suppressant.)

Etc. etc. Anyways the main thrust is that using high fat, high protein is better for you in general and specifically when dieting. You can safely lose between 0.5 and 1 lb per day on Atkins.

[mamelukesabre]

Bottle opener??

you must be in the stonage. It's been years since I've had to use a church key on a bottle of beer. Did you miss the "twist off" revolution?

[mamelukesabre]

What's the brand name?

[Mr. Mulliner]

You have to be in quite the time warp to not know Atkins. Although his diet just seems to be peaking in popularity, it's been around since the early 70s and is the most successful diet plan in history (if you can believe the hype, which I do).

I started hearing about it 3+ years ago from someone who had lost about 40 lbs on it and loved it. I tried it without reading the book and wasn't too successful. But when I finally read the book and did it right, I lost 35 lbs in about 3-4 months and got down to my ideal weight. I still eat a low-carb diet and love it.

[El Sordo]

2.9 GRAMS O' CARBS!!