Low-carb dieters lose more than weight
Water retention, lack of nutrients can be more harmful than extra pounds
By Joie Guner
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
jguner~media.ucla.edu

Recent popular diets have devised a way to color-code the food pyramid, by encouraging the elimination of white foods – those that tend to be high in carbohydrates.

Dr. Robert Atkins first sparked debate in 1972 by supporting a diet based on an extreme reduction of carbohydrates and an increase of proteins in order to lose weight. Other similar diets, like the South Beach Diet and the Zone Diet, have budded off the Atkins regimen in the past few years.

And many people, including UCLA students, are jumping on the low-carb bandwagon as the popularity of these diets surges.

Timothy Chen stopped eating designated foods high in carbohydrates and lost 45 pounds.

Chen, a third-year computer science and engineering students, achieved his high weight loss without exercise through a no-carbohydrate diet his family doctor designed.

"The weight loss was so fast, but I didn't consider that a health problem. In fact, it alleviated many problems since," he said. "I was able to do workouts such as jogging."

Yet other students are concerned with the health risks low-carb diets pose.

"Atkins tells you to avoid things like fruits, so my nutrients were very limited," said Varun Uttamchandani, a first-year undeclared student who tried the diet for nearly a year.

"I quit because I was revolted by how much meat I had to eat," he said.

Many restaurants on campus and in Westwood Village have responded to the increased demand for low-carb options by providing new menu items.

On-campus restaurants may soon add meals that comply with a healthier level of carbohydrate intake, said Roy Champawat, associate director for Food Operations and Business Development at UCLA restaurants.

Burger King in Westwood has added the new burger wrap, which consists of a hamburger without the bun. Both BJ's Pizza and Grill and Jerry's Famous Deli can make similar dishes upon request.

Chili's has even taken the low-carbohydrate popularity to print. The restaurant's new menu lists traditional items like their chicken caesar salad – without the croutons.

"A lot of the same types of restaurants like us have already done a low-carb menu and have been very successful," said Nicole McDaniel, manager of Chili's in Westwood.

The low-carb menu has proven to be popular among customers from all age groups, she said.

Nonetheless, the Atkins diet and similar eating plans that completely eliminate carbohydrates won't be dictating Sheri Barke's meal plan anytime soon.

"You do lose weight on the Atkins diet because you're eating fewer calories," said Barke, registered dietician and nutrition education coordinator at UCLA's Arthur Ashe Student Wellness Center.

"(But) if you're not allowed to eat bread, cereal, rice, pasta, fruits, vegetables, milk, beans and yogurt, there's not much food left," she said.

The danger of low-carb diets is the elimination of high-quality carbohydrates found in fruits and vegetables.

"(In an ideal eating plan) most of your plate is pasta or rice, half of your plate is vegetables and fruits, a quarter of your plate is starch and a quarter of your plate is protein," Barke said.

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies suggests a meal plan where carbohydrates compose 45 to 65 percent of daily calorie intake.

The Atkins diet, on the other hand, restricts dieters to only 5 percent carbohydrates, with the remaining 95 percent to come from protein.

An increase in animal protein or fat can lead to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer, said Christian Roberts, a physiological sciences professor.

"In order to lose weight, nobody needs to go on a low-carb diet," Roberts said.

He suggests a diet limiting the less healthy, refined carbohydrates found in cookies and soda.

With excessive protein consumption, Atkins dieters can lose lots of water when they don't have the carbohydrates to retain it.

Water loss can ultimately damage the kidneys, which are necessary for processing the excess proteins, Barke said.

The Student Nutrition and Body Image Action Committee offers a two-unit course titled "SNAC Education" during the fall and winter quarters that addresses health and nutritional issues.

Visit www.snac.ucla.edu for more information on healthy carbohydrate consumption.