Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Protein diets don't stop for beef scare
CHRISTIAN HILL THE OLYMPIAN
link to article
Followers of high-protein diets have many protein sources to choose from if they have concerns about beef, South Sound health-food retailers say.
So far, the nation's first case of mad cow disease hasn't prompted a flurry of concern from adherents who eat beef as the staple of diets such as Atkins, they say. But some are getting questions as to the source of their beef.
It's still too early to say whether those worries will dissuade residents from going on one of the diets to lose weight as a kick-off to 2004.
Employees at Amy's Low-Carb Express, J-Vee Health Foods in Olympia and the GNC Store in Tumwater talked about the effects of the mad cow news Monday.
"I think people are going to make the choice for themselves," said Amy Earley, co-owner of Amy's Low-Carb Express, which opened a month ago next to the downtown Safeway store to cater to the followers of such diets.
Her store is stocked with all manner of low-carb foods, including spaghetti, pancake mix and ketchup. Near her front door is a table filled with Atkins diet foods.
The diet, spelled out in numerous hot-selling books, calls for strict adherence to a low-carb, high-protein diet to shed pounds.
Protein alternatives
The fact that dieters can receive their protein from a variety of sources likely will insulate Atkins from jitters arising from mad cow disease, Earley said.
Beef-eaters still will swear by their steaks, she said, but "those who can take it or leave it will have tuna or chicken or ham instead."
The company behind the diet, Atkins International Inc., echoed that message in a statement posted on its Web site.
"Many of our followers have been succeeding on Atkins as a weight-control program and a lifestyle for many years without the inclusion of beef in their diets," it read.
The recall of meat products linked to the afflicted cow has widened to eight states and one U.S. territory.
A risk expert in San Diego said the probability of contracting the human variant of the disease -- variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease -- is "infinitesimal" as officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture have repeatedly assured that the nation's beef supply is safe.
Anna Thirkield, a J-Vee employee, said she hasn't heard any concerns from high-protein dieters.
One customer did request that the store sell organic beef, Thirkield said.
"She said she couldn't give up beef, but she wanted it to be organic from now on," she said.
Shopping at Amy's, Kay Huebner of Olympia said she uses ground turkey as the protein source for her Atkins diet.
Even if she was a beef-eater, Huebner said, mad cow disease won't scare her away from the diet.
The weight-loss benefit is far greater when compared to the miniscule chance of contracting the disease.
"I'm not going back," said Huebner, who has lost 50 pounds on protein-rich diets. "No way."
Two Olympia nutritionists, Randy Mentzer and Sheila Smith, said none of their clients have aired any concerns. Both, however, said they generally frown on low-carb diets because they underplay the nutritional benefits of complex carbohydrates found in fruits, vegetables and grains.
Christian Hill covers the city of Lacey and the military for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5427 or at chhill~olympia.gannett.com.