Atkins Rebuttal

Much interest has arisen over the recent report on the weight loss and cholesterol benefits of the Atkins diet. I continue to support my original claim that the Atkins diet is not a healthy diet or lifestyle for long term weight control. The study reported on Monday from Duke University was funded by the Atkins Foundation. This makes me question the validity of the study. The study was conducted using a small sample size and did not examine possible long-term ills or advantages of the Atkins Diet.

Following are five additional reasons why I do not promote the Atkins Diet for long term usage.

• Poor long term weight control: There is no metabolic magic in low-carbohydrate diets. Those that lose weight on this diet do so because of reduced calorie intake. This is due to reduced dietary variety in the Atkins diet. It limits the foods that people are allowed to eat. After a period of time, lack of dietary variety leads to boredom and cravings.
• Osteoporosis: Over time, increased protein intake, especially from animal sources, increases the loss of urinary calcium. This may contribute to osteoporosis.
• Gout An excess of uric acid in the body causes gout. Increased intake of foods high in purines (meat, poultry, nuts, seeds, and eggs) are broken down into uric acid in the body.
• Cancer Risk Intake: Risk of many cancers is likely to increase when fiber is eliminated from the diet. High fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans are avoided on the Atkins diet.
• Reduced Athletic Performance: Athletic performance is reduced on a low-carbohydrate diet. Since the 1930s a high carbohydrate diet has been promoted to enhance endurance during strenuous athletic events.

People following the Atkins diet can and will lose weight but the bottom line is calories. Take in fewer calories then you expend and you will lose weight. Take in more calories then you expend and you will gain weight. The nutrition community recommends that caloric requirements be met with a well-balanced diet.

More research is needed on the long-term effects of the Atkins diet before it can be promoted as a healthy lifestyle.

Last Modified 12/22/2005