Doctors' group urges Atkins diet ban

Washinton Times ^ | August 22, 2003 | UPI

[Cincinatus' Wife]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Nutritionists are urging the top 10 U.S. hospitals to ban the Atkins diet, reports said Friday.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine announced Friday in Washington it hopes the hospitals will emulate England's Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, which is eliminating the controversial diet from its menus, fearing a link to kidney damage.

[texas booster]

I've been underemployed for over a year, so I decided to join a research study at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Got paid $400, ate their food for a week and got complete tests done on my blood.

This study was to gather data on a new theory of why kidney stones develop in diabetics - that the pH of the blood accelerates kidney stone development in diabetics.

I found out that I had a very high score after two hours on the glucose tolerance test, making me a "diet induced diabetic", or a borderline diabetic. I also have elevated BP, 36% body fat, am overweight, don't exercise enough and I am no longer 17.

Their recommendations for me are to cut fast sugars such as soda and sweet tea (that one hurt), exercise more and lose weight.

Since my pH is Ok, I am at low risk of developing stones. The same group studied the Atkins diet for years, with an eye toward stone creation while on the diet. The pH theory came out of that research.

They would not recommend Atkins, but I found out that some of the nurses are on a modified Atkins diet. Eat normally, eat sugar in moderation, and cut many of the carbs. The doctors are concerned about high fat diets in general, but they have less concern about the high protien part of Atkins.

I find it fascinating that these leftist doctors from PCRM, who routinely excoriate the masses for following fads, will jump like lemmings to an study that backs their POV. Leftists trumpet all bad news about Atkins and ignore other research that shows health benefits from low-carb, high protien diets.

FReep mail me if anyone wants details on how to make $$ and get free medical care in one of these studies.

[SamAdams76]

I lost ten pounds on this diet but it made me so constipated, I had to quit. (I know; that's more information than you needed.) But it's true. So there.

I had that problem in the beginning but as soon as I started having yogurt everyday, the problem went away. Yogurt doesn't have a lot of fiber so you still need to eat plenty of vegetables. But yogurt appears to have substances (bacteria) that get into your intestines and aids digestion greatly. Make sure you purchase yogurt that has live cultures. There will be a seal on the container stating that. Otherwise, you are not getting the full benefits. I swear by Stonyfield Farm yogurt, even though the owners have "Ben and Jerry" disease. It is very good yogurt.

[SamAdams76]

Additionally, in January my cholesterol was tested at 373. In May it tested at 109.

Your cholesterol can be too low as well as too high. All that I've read suggests that 160 should be a minimum with 170-200 being the ideal range. I'm serious, cholesterol is not necessarily a bad thing. Your body needs it. But what really matters is HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol). So long as that ratio is good, I guess it doesn't matter what your "total" cholesterol is.

[SamAdams76]

I never bothered with that ketosis stuff. I just switched to a low-carb diet and started exercising. I pay attention to the carbs I take in and ensure I get no more than 100 grams of carbs per day (The average American consumes 425 grams of carb) and avoid "bad" carbs altogether. That is, the carbs I do eat are in fruits like blueberries, blackberries and strawberries (I'm a big berry eater on this diet), yogurt, some vegetables and of course, beer and wine (which aren't really as high in carbs as you might think). I totally eliminated all breads, pastas, rice, potatoes and virtually all supermarket processed and frozen foods.

So I don't know if I ever achieved ketosis or not. Probably I didn't. But I've lost 70 pounds since April and I'm not complaining.

[SamAdams76]

Thanks for the story. The success stories from the low-carb diets are always amazing. Turns conventional wisdom right on its head. Imagine losing tons of weight by eating pork chops, steaks, eggs and butter? Who would have thought it possible?

I love to swim but I get limited opportunity up here in New England. Fortunately, I like to walk and hike as well and there are plenty of hiking trails in the woods around here.

[AK2KX]

Appears that the health establishment ("Big Health") is afraid of Atkins because it works.

July 1, I was at 248 lbs. August 20, now at 208. Aiming for 180 by Halloween.

[CathyRyan]

I smell.... PETA PEOPLE!

[grania]

We can't have a successful diet screwing up the a big fat-tax payday can we?

Healthy, active people just aren't going to keep the pharmacutical business going.

(My gosh, what are they going to do with a generation of health-concious seniors who hang around until their 90s collecting pensions and social security?)

[fml]

Just out of curiosity, ----

Why couldn't you all do it without Atkins?

[CathyRyan]

Down 32 pounds since the beginning of May!

THANK YOU! Dr. Atkins!

[SamAdams76]

Sam, or anybody that wants to jump in, what I can have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the Atkins diet? I don't eat eggs or meat, but I DO eat fish. Also, is it no carbs at all, or just fewer carbs?

Try yogurt and blueberries for breakfast. That will be your "high carb" meal of the day but if you're going to eat carbs, best have them in the morning where you will have opportunity to burn them off. Actually, these are "high quality" carbs and not that bad for you. Figure about 23g in yogurt and about 13g in a half-pint of blueberries (after the fiber is subtracted).

For lunch, have a tin of sardines packed in olive oil and a few wedges of cheese, or perhaps, an ounce of nuts (peanuts, cashews, pistachios, macadamias, etc.).

Dinner, have a plate of your favorite fresh fish or seafood. Or make a salad that has plenty of vegetables and sprinkle cheese and nuts on top. Have lots of olive oil (instead of dressing). Have some blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries. All berries are good for you on a low-carb diet, even though they have carbs, they are high quality carbs. I make a salad at home every night now and I am becoming a real cheese gourmet. I have tried out at least a few dozen types of cheeses over the past few months that I put over my salads.

Now I also put bacon bits or chicken or diced eggs in my salads but you say you can't eat that stuff. In your case, experiment! Try some exotic nuts and cheeses and add more types of vegetables, for example. Most importantly, use plenty of olive oil. It's high in the good kinds of fat and will help make up for the fact that you don't eat meat and eggs.

[FITZ]

Guess those doctors want to see me go back on a low-fat diet and gain it all back...for my health, don't you know.

People who see doctors often aren't healthier than those who never go to one.

[SamAdams76]

Why couldn't you all do it without Atkins?

I never went on the Atkins diet. There are many other low-carb solutions besides the Atkins plan. While I give Atkins credit for popularizing and mainstreaming the low-carb lifestyle, it certainly wasn't Atkins original idea. This diet can be traced back to the 1800s. I forget the name of the person who "discovered" it, but I think he lived in England.

[A2J]

This is sour grapes, in my opinion.

My wife has lost 17 pounds in two weeks, my son 13. I've lost some and feel great but that won't stop the diet-nazis from trying to control what we choose to do.

[Thommas]

I tried a modified Atkin's Diet a few years ago. NO carbs, just meat, cheese, eggs, nuts and vitamins. I purposefully did not exercise. I lost 20 lbs fast (in about 2 weeks.) I've stayed on a highprotein/ low carbohydrate diet for nearly three years and gone back to exercise. No weight gain - great physical health, i.e., low cholesteral lab results, 125/63 bp., 58 bpm hr.

If this Atkin's diet, or any of the dozen similar diets, is adhered to by a normally healthy person, weight loss and maintenance should be easily attained.

[freeangel]

I'll bet your BP and cholesterol are down too. How are docs and pharmacy companies to make any money if they are not treating you on a regular basis?

[Pharmboy]

Lite beer has only 5 gms of carbs; get Sam Adams lite. On induction, you can easily have a lite brewski, and when you're on maintenance, you can have 2!

[Thommas]

The idea behind fat and protein being predominant in a diet is that there is a slight misperception as to how the body digests and processes nutrients. Carbs are broken down in the digestion process to facilitate blood sugar levels - when too high, insulin kicks in to eliminate the excess blood sugar by converting it to body fat. When blood sugar is low, glucagon kicks in to process body fat for glucose/glycogen.

One could die of "starvation" if only fat and protein were consumed for a long period of time. The fat one consumes primarily goes to body maintenance, being first digested into simpler components - what isn't used is mostly eliminated. What apparently wreaks havoc on body weight is fat consumed with carbohydrates. The combination can really slap on the pounds. Protein and carbs is pretty bad as well.

This is only an imprecise synopsis of the topic and several books are available which explain the physiological process in chapter and verse.

[RikaStrom]

Hi Carlo,

How have you been??

I just went back on the Atkins Diet after having failed several times before, but this time, I am determined and I am gathering all the good recipes. Variety is the spice of life you know (and keeps the eggs, meat, and cheese from getting boring.) LOL

Anyway, what do you think about gathering up the recipes, or posting the various recipes for those of us serious about this diet. It couldn't hurt, and sharing the good food would go a long way I think for the people who are running into the "what can I make with this NOW" issue.

[MadelineZapeezda]

Sam, I've been with the Atkins Diet since Jan of this year. I've lost 65 pounds. I'm sure I would have lost even more, but I've been eating the various berries ,blue and blackberry, from my backyard, along with homegrown tomatoes.

I am a fan for life. No more heartburn. I feel great. People even say I look 10 years younger..........(one of these days we should post before and after pictures)