Atkins Diet
We will examine the pros and cons of this diet. It is one of the most famous and popular diets that have ever been introduced in the weight loss industry. With over 40 million people worldwide and over 15 million people have bought the book from the late Dr. Atkins, the numbers alone have revealed how popular this diet is.
Dr. Atkins based his diet on the idea that carbohydrates cause your body to release insulin, thus storing fat. By switching to a high protein diet, the body would take more energy to process foods and store less fat. Too many carbohydrates in your diet encourage your body to retain fat. When the body absorbs simple carbohydrates quickly, it causes an insulin response that speeds the conversion of calories to fat. The plan focuses on the consumption of nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods and vita-nutrient supplementation. It also restricts processed and refined carbohydrates (which make up to approximately more than 50 % of people’s diets). It encourages you to eliminate sugar from your diet as this contributes to slower metabolism.
There are mixed views on the Atkins diet amongst health experts and dieticians. Many experts are critical of low-carb diets, but have not totally discounted the Atkins diet as an effective method of losing weight. One main criticism of the Atkins diet is that it does entail frequent meat consumption. Critics argue that this can lead to heart problems. There are also increased levels of certain cancers, as it is very low in necessary fibers, and leaves the body in need of key vitamins which must be subsidized. Aktins is also known to increase rates of osteoporosis.
In response, advocates point to the fact that following the book as conceived by Dr. Atkins may not be unhealthy. If followed exactly, studies have shown an increase in good cholesterol and a decrease in triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. They argue that it is better than other diets because you don’t have to starve yourself. It works as long as you are on the diet, and you can still eat meat and fat.
However, one of the chief antagonist to the Atkins way of life is the American Heart Association. Which does not recommend high-protein diets for weight loss. The AHA asserts that most people already eat more protein and fat than their bodies need, and eating a high-protein, high-fat diet raises the risk of many types of heart disease. The most serious claim against the Atkins plan is that it’s linked to a number of potential health risks such as osteoporosis, stroke, coronary heart disease, a propensity to form kidney stones, and liver disorders and diabetes.
In response to criticisms that the Atkins diet is linked to negative health effects – contrary studies have shown that over a four month period, the Atkins diet helped a group of people drop an average of 21 pounds, lower their cholesterol and triglyceride levels and raise HDL (‘good’ cholesterol). Advocates of the diet argue that people at high risk for chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes will see a marked improvement. They go even further to claim that by following this plan you are actually laying a permanent groundwork for disease prevention.
Atkins has been shown to help sustained weight loss, and as long as you are willing to maintain the high fat/protein diet, you can keep that weight off, but weigh the negative health effects carefully. Many people consider this a short term solution to reach their weight loss goals.
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