Hopefully will be a bit better informed etc than the BBC thing.

DOCUMENTARY: The Atkins Diet: Fat or Fiction?
Channel: Channel 4
Date: Monday 17th November 2003
Time: 21:00 to 22:00 (starting in 9 days)
Duration: 1 hour.
Documentary on the Atkins diet, the controversial weight-loss plan which has recently grown in popularity and made the headlines for the wrong reasons. The report features interviews with supporters and opponents of the diet, plus scientific investigations, to find the truth about its claims.
(Subtitles)

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Y'know - I want to watch it but I just know that I'll get extremely angry with the opponents!!

Thanks for alerting us - I'll watch it. Fingers crossed it's not too biased. There is so much misinformation about Atkins I think people could really do with a sensible programme outlining the whole of Atkins approach so people too mean, stupid or lazy to read the book get a realistic picture. I am tired of explaining to ignorant bystanders that Dr Atkins approach is supported by research and science, not to mentioned I feel so much healthier since starting it. The NHS offered me NOTHING to help deal with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Atkins has given me back my energy and cleared my "brain fog" - I just wish I'd known about it six years ago - perhaps it would have shortened the years of illness.

Just stepping down from my soapbox - feel better for getting that off my chest!

Thanks for that, I'll try to remember it is on. I just hope they don't wheel out our old mate Claire Sweeney!!

Hi Doogieb

Thanks for alerting us to this. I see you are another Digiguide user.

Yeah, I've been using Digiguide for quite a few years - I use it waaaay less since I got the Tivo though.... no need for Digiguide to announce a programme is about to start when Tivo already knows and will autorecord it

But yeah, Digiguide is great for keyword searches like Atkins etc

Just to remind you all - this programme is tonight. Seems to be covering both sides of the spectrum.

Hello everyone,

just thought I'll let you know that there is a programon C4 at 9'o clock tonight on Atkins Diet... Lets see how biased they can be.

By the way, I have been very bad and was off Atkins for the last few months. But I will be back on it very soon. So, hello again every one

She

I will be watching that programme as well. The claim is that it shows both pros and cons for doing the diet. We shall see.. Let me know what you think

Summary of the programme. This was an hour documentary. I thought that it was very good and did not get worked up at all. As you would expect it was not 100% supportive, but I thought it told the story well. History about the Atkins diet was given and they even referred back to Banting and his letter of copulence. They also discussed how when it was published in 1972 it was lambasted in the US. Then of course the low fat movement came on board and it fell more into disfavour. The book was rewritten in 1992 in the US and once again the revolution started. There were people talking about the celebs in Hollywood on it, but more importantly that bread and chips are almost a thing of the past there. Starters or canapes appear to be mainly meat or tuna. They said in the UK about how it was catching on and that the bread, potato, pharmaceutical and slimming industries are all feeling the pinch because of it. Therefore for their own livelihoods they will look to discredit it. There were UK representatives from the Medical Research Council and Kings College London, both doctors, who were not keen on the approach, regarding it as unhealthy, but were not out and out against it. There were case studies of several people who had tried it with great success including one girl who lost 4 stone and conceived rather than having to have fertility treatment as she was expecting to have. They call the baby their Atkins child. They certainly said about it being a diet that men like as it does not seem like a diet and its clear guidelines are easy to follow. There was also a video diary of a girl who started Atkins and followed her for 3 weeks. Whilst she lost 10 pounds over the time she did not enjoy it and was cheating on cereal and some fruit. It was noticeable that she had a cold for much of the time and this would not have helped, so I'm not sure if this really affected her approach to it. I don't think she went into it with a positive frame of mind and this also did not help. We did not really see what she was eating so it is difficult to know if she was doing anything wrong. So overall a very good programme.

For anyone who watched the programme, or even anyone who's just interested, you should read this article by Dr Malcom Kendrick:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=150313

In this programme, and other articles and programmes, great emphasis is made on the commercial aspects of Atkins - and by implication undermines the motivation of the Atkins approach. What strikes me, though, is that I've been following this diet and only paid the price of the book - no weekly fee to a slimming club - all the support and encouragement you need for free from this site - its costing me far less than Weight Watchers or Slimming Club. The special low carb products would be nice but we're managing OK without them here. My food bills have gone up cause I am eating better quality food but I am not spending on takeaways and ready meals so its swings and roundabouts - and I am eating better all round.

Thanks for the article link Demi - very interesting.

Vanessa

Demi has posted another very interesting article on the different low carb foods flooding the US .

I agree with you that it is so much cheaper overall and yes, this website is a lifeline. Think I prefer real food, but might just treat myself ocassionally.

Despite being somewhat against "low carb" products, I found myself in Marks and Sparks yesterday and thinking "I can't wait until M & S get the low-carb message" - there were several things I thought would be suitable - only to find hidden carbs like "maize starch" and sugar. They have so much "low fat" stuff and with only a little tweaking could do lots of nice prepared meals for low carb. It would be nice for a treat. I wonder how long they take to get the low carb message. I am sure there is a profit in it for them.