(UK) Official: Atkins diet can be deadly

Guardian ^ | 09/21/03 | Jo Revill, health editor

[Pikamax]

Official: Atkins diet can be deadly

Jo Revill, health editor Sunday September 21, 2003 The Observer

The first official warning about the dangers of the Atkins diet has been issued by the Government amid concern about the rising number of people opting for the high-fat, high-protein regime. The Food Standards Agency, which is responsible for all the Government's nutritional guidance, has published a statement alerting the public to the health risks of low-carbohydrate diets, including Atkins, claiming that they are linked to heart disease, cancer and even obesity.

In the past two months senior nutritionists have held talks with the Department of Health about the slimming fad and were asked to investigate the full risks of the diet.

But Ministers, who did not want to be accused of running a 'nanny state' by issuing the warning themselves, decided that it would be best if they were distanced from the advice, by letting it come from food experts.

The dangers are clearly spelt out on the agency's website, without actually naming the Atkins diet, which has been tried by more than three million people in Britain.

'Cutting out starchy foods, or any food group, can be bad for your health because you could be missing out on a range of nutrients,' the statement says. 'This type of diet also tends to be unrealistic and dull, and not palatable enough to be tolerated for a long time.'

It adds: 'High-fat diets are also associated with obesity, which is increasing in the UK. People who are obese are more likely to develop conditions such as diabetes and some cancers. Low-carb diets tend to be high in fat, too, and eating a diet that is high in fat could increase your chances of developing coronary heart disease.'

The advice, compiled in a question-and-answer style by senior nutritionist Sam Church, states that rather than trying to avoid carbohydrates, it is better to base your meals on them so they make up one-third of your diet.

But she does not include a warning about the possible risk of kidney or liver disease for anyone who spends a long time on the diet, possibly because of lack of reliable research to back such claims.

Dr Atkins' Diet Revolution toppled Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix off the number one spot during the summer; it now stands at six the UK bestseller list, having sold more than half a million copies in the past year.

Supermarkets report a surge in meat and cheese sales and a slump in pasta and rice. The price of eggs has risen by 9 per cent, bringing fears of a shortage because devotees of the diet are using the food as a way of ensuring their daily fix of protein. Some sandwich bars are also offering 'Atkins-friendly' meals, such as chicken and salad, to respond to demand and counteract the fall in sandwich sales, as bread is on the banned list.

A spokeswoman for the Atkins company argued that research showed it was consumption of large amounts of carbohydrates with a high-glycemic index, such as white bread, white rice or white potatoes, which increased the risk of coronary heart disease.

'At all stages of Atkins, we encourage consumption of nutrient-dense foods including plenty of vegetables, with the introduction of fruits and wholegrains later in the programme as one approaches ideal weight,' she added.

[SamAdams76]

Nope. Beer is part of my regular diet. I allow myself up to 2 beers (or glasses of wine) a day. Not that awful low-carb stuff either but the good stuff.

[tubebender]

have a "balanced" diet in line with that Kelloggs-Nabisco food pyramid?

I just checked the unopened box of Schredded Wheat in the pantry. 40 grams of carbs in one serving...

[narses]

Hmmmm, would four be OK? I'll eat less, really I will. :)

[MarkL]

I just checked the unopened box of Schredded Wheat in the pantry. 40 grams of carbs in one serving...

Wow... I typically stay under 30 grams of carbs total every day. Isn't that stuff high in fiber? I know it's like eating a loofa sponge! What is the number of grams of fiber in it?

Mark

[Cacique]

btt

[Ditter]

I crave something sweet sometimes too. I get a little bite of peanutbutter when I need sweetness. It taste sweet if you don't eat jelly with it. Those fruit cobblers you are talking about are usually sweetened with corn syrup. (not good)

[tubebender]

6 grams of fiber...

[Hugin]

Michelob Ultra has (I think) 2.6 grams of carbs per bottle. Miller Lite has 3.2. Most other light beers are 6-7 grams or more. Regular beer, 20 grams or more.

[Xenalyte]

Just let me know when they make some more astounding advances in the dental field. Their teefus just DAZZLE me.

[CindyDawg]

Yeah I've been concerned about the NS cafeteria desserts but the ice cream doesn't . I check the labels. I do eat peanut butter and you are right. It does help. So do nuts. I would like to get off the artifical sweetened stuff also but I'm having a hard enough time with the starches right now but its a goal in the future.

[dix]

My friend Barbara has a huge sweet tooth, and she has sugar free Jell-O topped with real whip cream to satisfy her sweet tooth. That all fits the Adkins diet, and man it is good.

[sinkspur]

I think Luc Montagnac?

Michael Montignac. I read his "Dine Out and Lose Weight" in the early 90s while I was still lifting weights heavily, and added ten pounds of muscle by eating carbs three hours before/after any protein!

I've been following Atkins for six years, and have varied five pounds on either side of 190 for the duration.

And, I ditched the Lipitor for cholesterol a year in.

[moo]

Yes, I run LeCarb. I invented the Ice Cream( frozen dessert) Milk, and YoCarb ( low carb yogurt). We have 7 flavors of Ice Cream, 7 flavors of yocarb and 3 types of milk( full fat ,2% and Chocolate). These are avalable in Brookshires/Super 1 Foods in TX AR LA and MS. The Ice Cream is avalable in WalMart Supercenters across the US. All products are being sold to all major retailers now. I can tell you specific cities and retailers if you ask. We are trying to gain markets daily but are NOT in all cities yet. Fred.

[Ditter]

That is a great idea, thanks. I'm going to try it.

[Dec31,1999]

It's a funny thing to see this article right now, because I just said to my wife not 20 minutes ago that the Atkins diet is probably unhealthy because of all that fat eaten. I said it probably causes heat attacks and cancer. My BIL was on it for about a year before he had a heart attack. Susanne Somers got cancer.

The best way to lose weight is to eat less and move more.

[Big Giant Head]

all that fat eaten

NO! You don't add more and more fat to your diet. Just start removing carbs. Don't ADD fat. Moderation is the key. Use butter, eat meat, just don't gorge.

You should read the Atkins book if you're really interested.

[CindyDawg]

I'm sorry about the Al remark. I thought you were joking. I'll have to look for this at Walmarts :')

[Ditter]

It took me a full 3 weeks to get over not eating any starches, it was terribly hard. But now, its great! I have been on the low carb diet for 6 weeks & I have lost 10 lbs. I don't have the craving for food that I had before. I just get kind of tired & I know its time for some protein. That is an amazing amount of weight, for me to lose in a few weeks. I'm pumped now!

[CindyDawg]

Even though I know I can have some fat I go with low fat when I can

[CindyDawg]

Yeah. My doctor put me on Atkins awhile back for 2 weeks. I lost 13 pounds but I felt really tired and the cravings never went away. He told me he had never seen anyone as addicted to carbs as I was. Now I do weight watchers but watch my carbs. I started to gain a little though so for the last week I went off all sugars and starches. I lost 7 pounds. I'm added 1 starch this week and will see how I do. I'm going to avoid all sugars awhile longer . I feel much better with some carbs though. The induction is so hard. Sometimes I think this is a guys diet. My doctor does it but says his wife hates it. My husband has lost over 70 lbs on Atkins and loves it. Go figure.