Atkins Diet Analysis Essay

“…So many people want to know about diets because so many people are going to try them, but they don’t work … some weight will be lost temporarily.” Harvey Diamond, author, was speaking. “But let me ask you something – do you want to be healthy temporarily? No. But you want to lose weight temporarily. They’re – They have failures built right into them.”

“Many of the foods served up and even glorified by the wholesome-food movement are themselves chock full of fat and problem carbs […] insisting that the lack of processing magically renders them healthy (Freedman). What he does not argue nor compare in any place in these 10,500 words article is the nutritive content of both products or alternatives. The idea is not to bring a lot of numbers to the context of this article, but nutrition is a science, and losing weight can be summarized to something as easy as subtracting the consumption of calories, whether eating 3 Egg White McMuffins a day or adopting the Paleolithic

The Zone and Atkins diets aim to achieve lower levels of insulin in the bloodstream. The Zone diet reduces carbohydrates by structuring calorie intake to a 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, 30% fat ratio. The ratio decreases the amount of carbohydrates consumed, inturn lowering overall insulin levels. The Atkins diet also lowers insulin levels by lowering the quantity of carbohydrates ingested. This four phase diet begins with extreme limitation and gradually allows small amounts of carbohydrates. Though these diets implement different approaches they both reduce the insulin levels in the bloodstream.

When reading about some of the diet I was familiar with, I began speaking to my 50 year old aunt, whom revealed that she had struggle with dieting most of her adult life. After making a complete list of the diets she has tried, some common factors were present. In every diet there are many risk factors that could possibly occur, such as relapse. In the quote “Eat less fat and you will be less fat” is the main reason the diets that most people try don’t work because most nutritional value is lost this book gives you the truth about myths and misconceptions that many diet

Being fit and skinny has become an obsession for many people. A kind of obsession that leads them to cross limits which injure their health. Moreover, many diets and programs are being invented by the profit oriented companies who promise to help to lose weight in a short amount of time. Most of the times, these diets are based on pure results, which violate the recommended dietary guidelines. The Atkins diet is one of the famous weight loss diets which is based on a low carbohydrate concept. It requires a person to consume high fat and high protein diet and decreasing the carbohydrate intake to minimal. Robert Atkins, the inventor of the Atkins Diet claims that, this program will produce fast and long term weight loss results. The claim

The Atkins diet has some advantages and disadvantages. This diet works on the theory that weight gain is caused not by fat intake or food portions, but the way our bodies break down carbohydrates (betterhealthusa.com). Carbohydrates will turn to fat if not

The Atkins diet is a diet plan created by Robert Atkins. The diet promotes a low calorie and high carbohydrate diet. Robert Atkins was an American physician and cardiologist. The goal of the diet is to limit sugar and carbohydrates in a person 's diet so the body burns fat more efficiently. The diet recommends steady consumption of food to maintain constant energy levels throughout the day, and to reduce hunger and cravings.

diets were adjusted to each subject according to body size and relative obesity (Keys et al.,

*Close to all the research up to now happen to be little with regard to diversity of research objectives.

If there is one thing Americans know a lot about its diets. Everything from Weight watchers to Atkins and everything in between has been promoted on televisions, in bestselling books and now advertised all over social media. Each one claiming to be the answer to weight loss, lifelong health and even making claims of reversing disease. Unfortunately even with this inundation, Americans are larger than ever. It’s confusing. Who is right, who is wrong? What can be believed? What can the average person actually attain and stick to? The government even has a say in what people should be eating. The food pyramid and more recently MyPlate have been attempts to steer people towards health. Unfortunately, they have been steering people in the wrong direction. A low fat high carbohydrate diet has been promoted extensively for many years, but it has left Americans fatter than ever So what is the answer? It surprises some and frustrates others, but a high fat, moderate protein and low carbohydrate diet is the way to go. This way of eating is commonly referred to as the ketogenic diet or keto. The ketogenic way of eating is the best diet because it promotes safe, healthy weight management including appetite control, reduces inflammation and high blood sugars, and supports brain health.

Certain types of foods are permitted while on “The Atkins Diet“. Most protein foods that

It is important to manage the carbohydrate intake week-to-week (Atkins par. 7). The third and fourth phases of the Atkins diet are for maintenance phases. Dieters should avoid any foods that could possibly cause weight gain, and continue to watch the intake of carbohydrates. The intake of carbohydrates may be increased during this phase but still must be managed (Atkins par. 8). The Atkins diet has had some controversies and some successes as well. This diet is a high-fat diet and the government health agencies only recommend thirty percent of fat in our diets. The Atkins diet requires the dieter to consume much more fat than that, easily (Atkins par. 9). A success that the Atkins dieters have experienced is not only weight loss, but an improvement in health as well (Atkins par. 10). Although this diet has been very time consuming for dieters, it has had wondrous outcomes.

Atkins, are often pictured in crisp, white lab coats, and are given just as much authority and respect as any real scientist when it comes to dietary advice. Not only are dieters influenced by this unscientific propaganda, but the general population is, as well (Cray et al. 1). As stated in the above mentioned Time magazine article, “A diet is more than a fad. In fact, it’s more than a diet—when skinny people are on it. Yet there they are, jogging into Noah’s Bagels in Santa Monica, Calif., proudly ordering bagels with the innards scooped out, disposed like toxic waste and replaced with full-fat cream cheese” (Cray et al. 1). The problem, warns Cameron Woodworth, author of Green Cuisine, is that critics say “these fad diets may cause more health problems than they solve” (1).

Since two-thirds of American adults are currently overweight or obese, doctors find it hard to find the “best” diet for their patients. The list of choices and categories is lengthy, with vocal advocates for the Atkins diet, the Zone diet, South Beach diet, Jenny Craig, Vegan/vegetarian diet, and the cousin to the Atkins diet the Paleo diet, etc. If any of these diets was sufficiently effective and easily adopted by Americans we wouldn’t be faced with such an obesity epidemic. The truth is there is no simple answer because everybody is different; doctors should recommend whatever diet the patient can best adhere to (Louis Kuristzky, MD, 2014). Because being overweight or obese can lead to diabetes and the inability of current recommendations to control this epidemic has failed. They now see the benefits of carbohydrate restriction to treat diabetes and the studies are well documented. A low carbohydrate diet is the first approach to reduce high blood glucose, and lead to the reduction or elimination of medication without side effects (Richard D. Feinman, 2015). There are concerns about the efficacy and safety of a low carbohydrate diet that has always surrounded this method of weight loss, but it’s more conjecture then data driven (Feinman, 2015). Critics believe that diets such as Atkins has potential negative effects on bone health, renal functions and cardiovascular health.

The low-carbohydrate diet dates back to 1797, when Scottish surgeon John Roll successfully treated two diabetic Army officers with a low-carbohydrate diet, which made the low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet became the standard treatment for diabetic and obese patients throughout the 19th century (Morgan 10). Subsequently, there was a rise in demand for low-carbohydrate diet books in 1958, 1967, and 1972, by Dr. Richard Mackarness, Irwin Stillman, and Dr. Robert Atkins, consecutively, with the latter one received the most widespread popularity. All of these diets expressed a steady emphasis on a diet with high protein, high natural fat in replacement of the loss in carbohydrate intake.