Dear Forum Moderator(s):
Hello!
You know how on the Atkins forum there is always discussion about how this is NOT a "diet" but a WOE or WOL (way of eating or life?) This attitude really helps those of us who have failed so many previous "diets" and it also makes one orient toward changing their lifestyle and hopefully smooths the road toward maintenance and a lifetime of keeping the weight off. (As moderator and around here awhile, I'm sure you're more knowledgeable about this than I am even!)
Anyway, this may seem a bit petty and frivolous, but I often wonder when I go from the site homepage into the next screen where all the different forum choices are, why it says 'Atkins "DIET"? I know it is minor but everytime I see that it seems like the site isn't consistent and I try not to take in that 'diet' concept when I click on it!! Could it possibly be changed to 'Atkin's Plan', 'Atkins Program', 'Atkins " or something? (Also, other programs listed with it do not say "diet", for example, it says 'Protein Power', rather than 'Protein Power Diet', etc.)
Just wondering as I work hard not to think of myself on a "diet" ever again, and then right here on THIS FANTASTIC SITE (which has helped me SOOOOO MMMMuch) I see the implication that I am still on another 'diet'.
I know it may seem petty, but I've been meaning to ask someone for quite a while and today did!
Thanks for your thoughts on this. And, mostly, thanks for keeping this site going and helping thousands of us every day!!!(I can barely get my kids lunches made some mornings as I get up and read the interesting new posts right out of bed to start the day with LOTS of info, support and positive outlook!! It's working great!!! THANKS!
Cheers,

You're right about it being a way of life, and the word diet does describe it accurately.

Diet is part of the title of Atkins book, so it makes sense that it's part of the description. Atkins uses "diet" in the true sense - the word diet has Greek roots and means a way of living - and not what most people have come to think of as "a diet".

As a reference, here's the etymology of the word diet:

diet (1) - "regular food," c.1225, from O.Fr. diete, from M.L. dieta "parliamentary assembly," also "a day's work, diet, daily food allowance," from L. diaeta "prescribed way of life," from Gk. diaita, originally "way of life, regimen, dwelling," from diaitasthai "lead one's life," and from diaitan, originally "separate, select" (food and drink), freq. of *diainysthai "take apart," from dia- "apart" + ainysthai "take," from PIE base *ai- "to give, allot." Often with a sense of restriction since 14c.; hence put (someone) on a diet (c.1440). The verb meaning "to regulate oneself as to food" (especially against fatness) is from 1660. An obsolete word for this is banting (q.v.). The adj. in this sense (Diet Coke, etc.) is from 1963, originally Amer.Eng.

Protein Power does not have diet in the title, CAD does, the Zone doesn't the GO-Diet does, etc.

It will be interesting to see what others have to say.

Karen

Actually, the choice of wording for forum headers and website page headers has to do with search engines, such as Google, Yahoo! AOL etc etc etc.

When curious and interested readers are searching for information about Atkins or low-carbing ... they're not typing "Atkins WOL" into the search engine They're typing Atkins DIET or low-carb DIET.

It's as simple as that. We want to make our site and all the terrific information it provides to be as easy to find, and as user-friendly as possible.

The folks who stick around learn soon enough that LC is indeed a way of life


hth,

Doreen

OK Thanks for explaining that, Doreen.
Cheers,