A scientific study into the controversial Atkins diet suggests that it can be one of the most effective ways for women to lose weight without the aid of slimming pills. At the end of a 12 month trial, overweight subjects on the Atkins regime had lost twice as much weight on average as women on three competing diets. Atkins minimises carbohydrates, such as bread and sugar, in favour of meat and other proteins. However, amid increasing concern that its devotees miss out on vital nutrients, it has recently been supplanted by new dietary regimes such as the GI diet, which consists of foods that release glucose slowly and evenly into the bloodstream.
Last week however, the study has revealed that Atkins produced more weight loss with no signs of undesirable side effects – at least in the short term. In the study, 311 pre-menopausal women, overweight women were asked to follow four regimes: the Atkins; Zone; LEARN or Ornish diet. Each diet involves a different level of carbohydrate intake. The Atkins recommends the lowest level of carbohydrate, the Zone diet a little more. The LEARN (Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitudes, Relationships and Nutrition) diet follows the American government’s recommendations for a diet low in fat and high in carbohydrates. The Ornish diet is very high in carbohydrates and extremely low in fat.
After one year, the 77 women on the Atkins group lost an average of 10 pounds – about twice as much as those on the LEARN and Ornish diets. Women on the Zone lost an average of 3.5 pounds.
A spokesman for the Medical Research Council said that the reason for the success of Atkins was that people found a diet that allowed high intakes of meat and fat easier to follow than other more Spartan regimes.
In Britain, the Atkins diet reached its peak in 2003 when a survey indicated that 3 million people were on it. The diet was endorsed by celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston.
The Online Clinic does not support the use of the Atkins diet as the long term effects of having a diet high in fats and proteins is not known but we can make a reasonable guess that it is not going to be good for you. Some people have even suffered ill effects of being on the diet for a short period of time, with one 16 year old American girl actually dying after being on the diet for two weeks as her body was so low on potassium that the normal electrical function of her heart was interrupted. Other users of the diet have had lucky escapes, including a doctor from Illinois who was a former enthusiast for the diet but ended up having to call the emergency services after suffering from arrhythmia (irregular heart beat.) Also, don’t forget that even although Dr Atkins died in a tragic accident, he was overweight at the time of his death and he was suffering from cardiovascular problems.
It is possible to have a diet that is low in refined carbohydrates, thereby stopping the insulin spikes which can cause the retention of sugars as fat, without the diet being dominated by fats and proteins.