Good news! Atkins issues correction
 

FROM THE ATKINS WEBSITE:

"Make That Steak a Bit Smaller, Atkins Advises Today's Dieters," published in the January 18th edition of The New York Times--and the subsequent publicity--is yet another dramatically inappropriate example of the media reporting on the media and perpetuating a false report on Atkins. This is a great disservice to the millions upon millions of Atkins followers who have been benefiting from this nutritional approach for more than 30 years. The accusation in the media, which claims that Atkins is retreating from its long-held position on the consumption of fat is simply wrong. It is a false premise created by members of the media themselves, based on input from "experts" who apparently have neither read any of Dr. Atkins' books, nor even casually browsed this Web site.

Atkins has not changed. The basic tenets of the Atkins Nutritional Approach™ (ANA), consistent since 1972, are to control the intake of carbohydrates, avoid refined carbs (like sugar and white flour), eat a balance of fats (including saturated fat but not trans fats) and consume a variety of protein sources, such as red meat, fish, poultry and tofu. Saturated fat remains a valuable part of the ANA. There is absolutely no scientific research to support any claims that eating red meat and saturated fat as part of your Atkins program is anything other then beneficial. These protocols have been consistently reinforced as safe, effective and beneficial and have been further supported by 17 studies released over the last three years.

Equally as important, and terribly troubling to all of us at Atkins, is the attempt once again by critics of Atkins to ignore fact, science and the clear messages stated in Dr. Atkins' own words over the past 32 years, in order to sensationalize the ANA as the "all-the-steak-you-can-eat" approach to weight loss and good health. This has never been true and the millions of individuals doing Atkins, along with the health care professionals who have read Dr. Atkins' books, clearly understand this. We would urge anyone who is confused, including the media to simply read Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, Atkins For Life or The Atkins Essentials, or review this site, rather than interpret Atkins on the basis of sensational reports manufactured on hearsay and mischaracterization.

Even in the original 1972 edition of Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution, Dr. Atkins explained, "fat allows for enormous variety in your diet; that vital and best of all, it keeps you from feeling deprived. Of course, you aren't confined to steak, you can have almost any kind of meat, fish or fowl." He continued, "One of the biggest reasons this diet works so successfully is because you eat protein and fat…."

Dr. Atkins made no secret of the fact that his methodology evolved over time as scientific discoveries added new and useful information. He rewrote his original 1972 book three times, exactly because he felt it was his responsibility to keep people up to date when it came to the most recent and relevant information on controlled carbohydrate nutrition and health. In the 2002 edition of Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, he wrote, "Eat either three regular-size meals a day or four to five smaller meals. Eat liberally of combinations of fat and protein in the form of poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs and red meat, as well as of pure, natural fat in the form of butter, mayonnaise, olive oil, safflower, sunflower and other vegetable oils. Adjust the quantity you eat to suit your appetite, especially as it decreases. When hungry, eat the amount that makes your feel satisfied but not stuffed…."

By providing individuals doing Atkins with a life-long strategy, including exercise and meal plans (at various carb thresholds) incorporating a wide range of foods, as explained in Atkins for Life, Dr. Atkins believed he would finally put to rest the misconception that his approach was based on eating only red meat. His simple goal was that people would come to understand how to incorporate his controlled carbohydrate nutritional approach as the first step in gaining control of their nutritionally out-of-control lives.

Millions of individuals who benefit from doing Atkins understand that the ANA is a very effective four-phase approach to healthy eating. The ANA focuses on moving people away from diets loaded with refined carbohydrates like sugar and white flour to a lifestyle centered around eating whole foods and nutrient-dense carbohydrates like leafy greens, and finding a balance in the consumption of proteins and fat.

Amen

Thanks for posting this, K!

:)

Thanks for posting Kaillean. This rebuttal will be a relief to many.

This makes me feel better I have read the book and I knew it couldn't be so what was in the meadia but I have to admit I was a tad bit worried the way the media made it sound.

Yeah, the report freaked me out, too! My saturated intake fat is quite high according to Fitday. But I've never felt better.

A few media outlets have printed the clarification, but I see the NYTimes online still has the orginal article up, but no follow-up story with Atkins' rebuttal.

This a great example of how the media skews facts -- 75% of the stuff we see on TV and read in the papers is incomplete at best, total bullshit at its worst.

Doesn't anybody tell the truth anymore?

Thank you soooo much. There is not much you can believe these days. I was in denial about the good dr. recanting 30 years of crusading.

Geez, I sound like a fanatic myself. I am a believer in this WOL...so call it what you will!

Dana

As glad as I am to see the correction, it would be nice to have a better explanation of this claim that Collette Heimowitz (Atkins' main medical spokesperson) is touting the 20% figure to health professionals. It may be a skewed claim, but it's out there and I'd like to know what she is saying to result in this interpretations.

Maybe there'll be something from her in the next Atkins e-newsletter.

K.

thanks for posting!

my opinion
 

Sometimes people get misquoted.

However, Dr. Atkins did say (and I am definitely paraphrasing, as I do not have the book in front of me for reference):

1. To eat only until satisfied
2. To eat a variety of foods, to avoid boredom

So, ignoring the saturated fat jargon, if we chose to consume fish, poultry, beef, seafood, etc., we wouldn't have a problem with getting ALL our fat sources from one type.

Even his sample induction menu is varied (although you can follow it for two weeks identically). Mainly, it is to train you how to select foods for your new way of eating.

Perhaps this person was pressured (or made to feel that way) to make the Atkins "diet" more friendly, or to complete with SB?

Is it marketing or fact? Hard sometimes to distinguish between the two. Sometimes when things become mainstream, the original proponent feels more pressure to make their offering "unique".

Some people on this forum have been following this lifestyle for years, with no adverse affects (and have the blood work to prove it). Other, newer adherents, are probably justifibly confused with information overload, especially if they were having ANY problem with the information in the book (it takes a few reads, sometimes, to understand certain aspects, especially if it is an entirely new concept).

I'd be very interested in hearing what she really said as well, but chances are that we will never know exactly with all of the corrections and recanting going on both at AN and in the media. It's quite likely that one side or another (perhaps both) are doing some scrambling for damage control before this really gets out of hand (as if it hasn't already!).

You're right, Lisa. We may never know.

At the end of the day, with studies and experts at odds, I guess we just have to trust what our bodies tell us. I've never felt better or eaten healthier in my life. That can't be bad. My allergies and excema are under control for the first time in my life, my knee pain has gone, I have energy, and my skin and hair look great.

Also, because our carbs are so low, our fat % is skewed. For example, I momentarily freaked when I read the story because my sat fat has been running around 30-35% during my post-holiday re-Induction. But then if you plug in an extra serving of carbs, for example, the percentage goes way down. Even though your actual sat fat grams stay the same.

So, in my opinion, you can't really say what a safe % is, because it depends what else you're eating. If sat fat really was bad -- and I don't believe it is with a low carb WOE -- they'd have to give us a number of sat fat grams not to exceed. A simple percentage wouldn't work.

K.

P.S. I'm being uncharacteristically chatty on this thread because I want to make sure everyone sees the rebuttal - it's not making the news as much as the original story (go figure). Tell your friends!

Excellent post! Funny how the original stories are front page and the other side of the story are usually burried on the back of the paper somewhere.

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the post!
I was very freaked out!
It was really a relief.

i too seen something on the news last night about Atkins changing its rules as to stay away from red meat and eat more poultry. the news reporter said: "they are saying not to eat red meat.instead, eat more chicken and fish"

i had to ask myself : who are they?

Another example of "cutting edge" reporting. :bash: (I mean...if the The New York Times says it, it MUST be true, right??)