| The following is an article I wrote for a now defunct | | | | study result: "Consumption of an LCHP |
| local paper that I think does a fairer job of describing | | | | (Low-carbohydrate high-protein) diet for 6 weeks |
| Atkins' Diet than much of what I have read. | | | | delivers a marked acid load to the kidney, increases |
| Dr. Atkins has left the building. We have lost our high | | | | the risk for stone formation, decreases estimated |
| fat guru, so available as a foil for those tofu | | | | calcium balance, and may increase the risk for bone |
| munching, arugula crunching, low-fat health fanatics. | | | | loss. Copyright 2002 by the National Kidney |
| Who will champion the cause for the all-you-can-eat | | | | Foundation, Inc." (Am J Kidney Dis 2002 |
| lard smorgasbord now? Fear not, his legacy lives on, | | | | Aug;40(2):265-74) In a group of Argentinian epileptic |
| and you can still consume an entire chocolate | | | | children placed on a ketogenic (60% fat) diet: |
| cheesecake in front of your friends while mumbling | | | | "The side effects and complications during admission |
| something about doing Atkins. | | | | were delay in onset of the ketotic state (10.5%), |
| While many will seek to wrap Dr. Atkins into a neat | | | | intolerance of the rapid onset of ketosis (21%), |
| little package, medical research does not fully | | | | hypoglycemia (47.37%), refusal to drink fluids |
| vindicate him or fully condemn him. As the different | | | | (15.79%), lack of appetite (15.79%), and nausea and |
| eulogies roll out, I have seen several already that | | | | vomiting (26.31%). During treatment the serum |
| misconstrue his diet and then half-heartedly defend it. | | | | cholesterol rose in 64.7% of the children, 40.91% |
| Sympathy for his passing does not make Dr. Atkins | | | | were constipated, 31.82% had periods of anorexia, |
| right, just as his dying does not prove him wrong | | | | symptomatic metabolic acidosis occurred during |
| (slipping on the ice while getting exercise gives him | | | | intercurrent infections in 9.09%, renal calculi in 9.09%, |
| credibility. He lived his recommendations). I am not an | | | | carnitine insufficiency in 9.09% and severe |
| Atkins' follower, but I am both a Naturopathic Doctor | | | | complications which led to hospital admission in |
| and a medical researcher, with a solid grounding in | | | | 21.05%." (Rev Neurol 2001 Nov 16-30;33(10):909-15) |
| nutrition and biochemistry. My comments are based | | | | While these children represent the far end of the |
| chiefly on the New Diet book, (Dr.Atkins' New Diet | | | | spectrum for side effects, the high-fat/ high protein |
| Revolution, 2002) with a few comments on Atkins | | | | approach to diet is far from risk free. |
| For Life. | | | | At this point, if the Atkins aficionados are still reading, |
| Let me be clear about who might benefit from | | | | they are prepared to cite chapter and verse, study |
| Atkins' Diet. Anyone who has given him or herself | | | | after study to support Atkins. While the studies in |
| over to apathy and morbid obesity. Actively involving | | | | the back of Atkins' books are valid studies, he has |
| yourself in your food choices and making conscious | | | | cherry picked the supporting studies from among |
| choices is always better than despair. The newest | | | | others less supportive. Atkins has, for example, a |
| information we have is that being really large affects | | | | study that says: "Phosphorus and protein intakes do |
| your quantity of life as well as your quality of life. | | | | not contribute to the wide variability in calcium |
| Any readers who think this describes them should | | | | absorption efficiency. (Am J Clin Nutr 2000 |
| stop reading this and go pick up whatever health | | | | Sep;72(3):758-61) The study does say that, but the |
| book looks the least bit interesting. | | | | author was doing a metabolic analysis of nuns over a |
| The hype surrounding Atkins diet far exceeds the | | | | twenty year period. A much more specific study that |
| reality, but the hype was of Dr. Atkins own doing. In | | | | Atkins ignores actually measured calcium urine after |
| the ads for New Diet, Dr. Atkins promises that you | | | | protein and phosphorus ingestion in young men and |
| can eat all the delicious meals you love, never count | | | | found that: "Simultaneous increases in protein and |
| calories, and reduce your risk factors for chronic | | | | phosphorus intakes caused a 28% increase in urinary |
| fatigue, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Its not just | | | | calcium (excretion) whereas the increase in protein |
| weight loss, it is total wellness, and you too can be | | | | intake alone caused a 115% increase (in calcium |
| one of the lucky Atkins flock! | | | | excretion)." (J Nutr 1981 Mar;111(3): 553-62) When |
| Dr. Atkins ability to sell a high protein/high fat diet has | | | | studies conflict, selecting the ones that just support |
| made him a cult figure, and he encourages this by | | | | our point of view is not good science. |
| referring to his diet as "doing Atkins." Atkins didn't | | | | In some cases, Atkins is a viable option despite the |
| "invent" his diet. A Banting diet from 1863 pushed | | | | risks. Cherry picked or not, Atkins does have studies |
| high fat and protein. In the 1920's uncontrolled | | | | that support his diet plan. In particular, diabetics and |
| epileptics were put on a ketogenic (60% fat) diet, a | | | | pre-diabetics with sugar imbalances do better on |
| practice that is once again popular in medical circles. | | | | Atkins than on carbohydrates. Morbidly obese and |
| More recently, a horde of high protein diets have | | | | obese people who have not been successful on |
| poured onto the bookstore shelves. Atkins was the | | | | low-fat diets will lose weight on Atkins total diet |
| beginning of this horde, having tried a low | | | | regime (diet and exercise). Losing a significant amount |
| carbohydrate diet himself in 1963. His New Diet book | | | | of weight will, as a recent Duke University study |
| dates from 1992, but he has been peddling the same | | | | shows, lower cholesterol and other lipid markers |
| ideas since 1972 (the first 1972 "revolution" sold 10 | | | | despite high fat intake. And six month studies of |
| million copies). | | | | people on Atkins show that, while the kidney |
| While it is true that Dr. Atkins' diet does not require | | | | changes with high quantities of protein, it was not as |
| calorie counting, Dr. Atkins does not mention in his | | | | severe as the critics had thought. Atkins puts in the |
| introduction that instead of counting calories with a | | | | beginning of his book that people with severe kidney |
| calorie counter you now must count carbohydrates | | | | disease should not do Atkins, so on some level he |
| with a carbohydrate counter. And these arent normal | | | | realized the risks. |
| carbohydrates, they are an Atkins creation called net | | | | Despite Dr. Atkins protestations to the contrary, it is |
| carbs, where you take total carbohydrates and | | | | also possible to lose weight on high carbohydrate, |
| subtract out the fiber, so be prepared with a | | | | restricted calorie diets, particularly if those diets are |
| calculator. | | | | full of complex carbohydrates instead of simple ones |
| Supposedly people can eat as much fat as they | | | | (think whole wheat and brown rice instead of |
| want, but at the beginning of the diet part of New | | | | takeout and white bread). Nowhere in Dr. Atkins' |
| Diet Dr. Atkins encourages people to: "feel satisfied | | | | book was there any mention of the dietary habits of |
| but not stuffed." (p. 123). It is clear that Dr. Atkins is | | | | the rest of the world, where high carbohydrates are |
| aiming for a ketogenic fat burning state, which he | | | | often a necessity, and obesity is not rampant. Given |
| tries to call lipolysis instead of ketosis, and to pretend | | | | a choice, low fat may be safer, and long term |
| that it is a separate state from that of advanced | | | | studies have shown that consistent replacement of |
| diabetics (who enter ketosis because their body cells | | | | high fat snacks with low fat snacks (day-glow chips |
| can no longer use glucose). In fact, it is the same | | | | with air popped popcorn) gives the most consistent |
| ketosis (no fair inventing new body processes) but | | | | long-term weight loss. |
| people are much less likely to go into ketoacidosis | | | | For the vast majority of people, those who do not |
| (out of control ketosis) than diabetics. | | | | yet require a full two airplane seats but who still |
| So the Atkins Diet is all hype? Not at all. The Atkins | | | | cringe at the sight of a scale or a BMI index, Atkins |
| weight loss plan is an effective way to lose weight. | | | | provides some interesting insights, but is not the best |
| Under the Atkins diet, you will immediately lose ten | | | | route to a magazine cover figure (better invest in a |
| to fifteen pounds of water weight as the liver loses | | | | good airbrush and some digital retouching). |
| all its stored glucose. Then you will switch to ketotic | | | | But while I may not admire the diet, I admire the |
| fat burning, with protein providing some glucose | | | | man. Dr. Atkins withstood an amazing barrage of |
| inefficiently. When protein is burned for fuel by the | | | | criticism over the years, and continued to change his |
| body, only 55% converts to energy, the rest | | | | dietary recommendations to take into account new |
| converts to heat. Add to that the two hormones | | | | information. |
| that slow down your urge to eat whenever high | | | | In his newest book, Atkins for Life, Atkins has |
| quantities of fat are present, and you have a recipe | | | | backpedaled so far from the "all the fat you can eat" |
| for rapid weight loss. The trouble is that when you | | | | idea he is practically in the same dietary range as |
| go off Atkins you'll gain it back. He is quite clear | | | | Andrew Weil and the Harvard Diet. He discusses bad |
| about that, which is why it is so important for Atkins | | | | fats and good fats, transfats and the evils of |
| to defend his diet plan as a plan for life, not short | | | | barbecuing. When Dr. Atkins started into the joys of |
| term weight loss. | | | | nuts and berries, I checked the front of the book |
| But to defend his diet for life, Atkins makes some | | | | again, thinking I had mistakenly switched to a raw |
| claims he can't back up. Dr. Atkins says that: "low-fat | | | | foods book or a vegan cookbook. I don't know if I |
| fanatics have claimed that a high-protein diet would | | | | could recommend Atkins for Life for life, but it |
| impair kidney function. Yet, I have never seen or | | | | definitely leaves the New Diet Revolution in the dust. |
| heard a single accuser provide a single example of a | | | | Had he lived a few more years, Dr. Atkins would |
| single case in which that happened." (New Diet, p.xiii). | | | | have doubtless published the New Improved Diet |
| This is where he really loses me. As a medical | | | | Revolution, which would have been still closer to the |
| researcher, it should be impossible to miss the | | | | mark. Goodbye, Dr. Atkins, you will be missed. |
| evidence to the contrary. Consider the following U.S. | | | | All rights reserved. Portland Seacoast Spirit article. |