Re: Pounds Lost on Atkins Diet May Quickly Return- New York Times Article
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Originally posted by Skamito
The Atkins diet gained a modicum of respectability this month when scientists reported that two clinical trials found the high-fat, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet did not cause disastrous increases in serum cholesterol and even reduced one or two cardiac risk factors.
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It is not Hi-Protein people...
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...So as soon as you are unable to resist that bun with your burger or summer's succulent sweet corn, a cooling ice cream cone, thirst-quenching watermelon or a bag of fries, those lost pounds are likely to come bounding back.
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Watermelon is allowed in moderation on OWL and later. I believe Corn is allowed Pre-Maintnance and later. Ever heard of Low Carb Ice Cream ? I don't personally care for LeCarb, but alot of people seem to love it. If all else fails, it isn't very hard to make your own Low-Carb Ice Cream.
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Neither of the new studies was designed to determine either long-term safety or effectiveness of this regimen, which puts foods like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, corn, bananas, winter squash, dried beans and peas, cereal and, of course, ice cream, cake, cookies, pies, sweet rolls, doughnuts, candy and bagels on the don't-eat-them list and suggests instead indulging in bacon and eggs, steaks and cheese, cream (but not milk) and butter instead.
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Most can be added back in moderation during Pre-Maintance. Only a few can't. There are LC alternatives for several of the foods listed.
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About 40 percent of the participants dropped out of the studies and were lost to follow-up. In other weight-reduction studies, dropouts are usually people who fail to lose weight or regain their initial losses. It nearly always means that they did not stay on the assigned diet.
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I don't get this part...most people (including myself) can stick to a Low-Fat/Low-Calorie diet for 6 months if they are really trying. Atkins can be done for life if you have even a shred of will power. These folks obviously weren't really trying to lose weight.
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Among those who did stay in the programs, the differences in the amount of weight lost on the two diets were not drastic...
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The difference was 61% if I remember correctly. In terms of hard numbers, the pound difference was rather small...mainly because both groups had lost so little. But, the percentage difference was very significant.
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Americans are not eating less fat; rather, per capita consumption of fat has risen by 10 pounds a year since 1973. All things being equal (which they are not), this alone would result in an average of 11 more pounds than people weighed 30 years ago.
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It shouldn't suprise anyone that, the the mid-70s to mid-80s corresponds to the lowest fat intake in history: 89g. Current fat intake is 101g...exactly correlating to the 10 pound increase she states. But, omitted is that in the decade before then, fat intake dropped over 40 pounds (139 --> 89g) while obesity and heart disease rates did not drop but rather continued to increase. Overall, compared against 1965, we are eating 30 pounds less fat a year.
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Americans are also eating more carbohydrates, but not the whole grains, fruits and vegetables that weight-control experts and health promoters recommend. They are eating far more sugars (20 pounds more per capita since 1975, another 10 pounds of body weight) and more refined starches as they overindulge in fat-free or low-fat cakes, crackers and so on.
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Carb intake has gone up by 75g a day since 1965...If her numbers are correct, that would mean sugar consumption is up 25g a day. That number seems awfully low. But, nonetheless, if correct...where are the other 50g coming from ??? There are only sugars, starches, and fibers. Fibers don't contribute calories...leaving only sugar and starch. If sugars only account for 33% of the increase, then starches (Breads, Potatoes, and Cereals) must account for the other 66%.
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Americans are eating more calories, which is the real cause of weight gain. That is why the percentage of calories from fat has fallen while total fat intake has not.
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Compared to the mid-70s to mid-80s ??? But, men are actually eating a few hundred less calories than they were in 1965. Women's caloric intake has gone up less than 100 calories since 1965.
In addition, it should be noted that these numbers are reflective of most of this century. Fat intake only went down when it was demonized in the early 70s. It went back up in the late 80s, which is why LF advocates love to use the 70s/80s as a comparison point...If they were being honest, they'd use a point in the 60s or earlier. But, that wouldn't help their case.
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A final — and critically important — unknown remains the long-term safety of a diet rich in saturated fats and relatively limited in the whole grains, fruits and vegetables that countless studies have linked to reduced rates of heart disease, stroke and cancer, the nation's leading killers.
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Unkown ??? What's she smoking ??? Atkins has been around since the early 70s. Most folks ate alot of Saturated Fat and little in the way of Refined carbs up until the middle of this century. And, you know what...they were a hell of alot healthier also.
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It is perhaps worth noting that the precipitous gain in the numbers of obese and overweight people has occurred during the 30 years since Dr. Robert Atkins, who died on April 17, first published his "diet revolution." Since the diet's resurgence in recent years, there has been no notable turnaround.
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Most people didn't even know what Atkins was until this year. I didn't hear about it all until the late 90s. I didn't know what it was until a friend explained it at the end of last year. It didn't really experience its major resurgance until only a few months ago. You cannot expect major results that quickly.
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Recent studies have strongly suggested that carbohydrate-rich, low-fat diets with only modest amounts of protein may be less effective in achieving and maintaining weight loss. Fat and protein are digested more slowly than carbohydrates and may delay the return of hunger.
Also, while it may be easy to overeat or binge on cake or cookies, few people can consume large quantities of steak, burgers without buns and unsweetened whipped cream.
That is why, as the new studies show, Atkins adherents eat fewer calories than they did before starting the diet, and it is this calorie reduction that accounts for their weight loss.
If you want to try a diet that many experts concerned about both weight and health now recommend, it should contain about 25 percent of calories from fats primarily from vegetable sources like olive, canola and nut oils, avocados, beans, nut butters, nuts and seeds, along with fish and lean red meats and poultry adding up to about 20 to 25 percent of calories from protein.
Rounding out this diet are whole grains and ample amounts of vegetables and fruits. On this less restrictive diet, the weight loss may be slower than with Atkins, but it is more likely to stick.
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Here she shows her true bias. She outright admits a LC/HF diet is good for you, but is still pushing a HC/LF diet.
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