There is no substitute for hard work.
Thomas Alva Edison

Everyone wants something for nothing in America. American- that is, capitalist- culture revolves around maximizing profit while expending the least amount of energy. Dieting is no exception. With the myriad dieting programs available to our increasingly obese culture [1], each one promising a simple yet effective weight loss method, dieters expect to get what they want- to lose weight- by putting forth minimal effort to do so. Dr. Robert Atkins promises, in his book entitled Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, dieters will, “Lose weight! Increase Energy!” and, of course, “Look great!” making it an “obvious win-win situation!” [2] Who does not want a win-win situation? The Atkins diet consists of very low carbohydrate intake, but a high fat intake. By severely limiting carbohydrate intake the body quickly starts to break down its fat stores for energy, thereby helping dieters lose weight. The diet certainly helps dieters lose weight, but with high fat and protein intake and severely limited carbohydrate intake, dieters must be cautious…

What is the Atkins Diet and why is it so appealing?

The Atkins Diet, as explained above, is a dieting system that restricts the intake of carbohydrates. Dr. Atkins purports his diet as, essentially, the magical solution to obesity. He has the “key” and the “secret” to “unlatch the box” of losing weight. [3] Finally the light bulb went off in the human brain, and all this time it has been so simple! This is very appealing to Americans. The majority of Americans are overweight [4], and this at a time when MTV, Hollywood, and the media pound glamour and beauty into the American psyche more than ever. In contention with the need to feel beautiful is another typically modern-American trait: laziness. Dr. Atkins appeals to the lazy American with his diet. Dr. Atkins boasts dieters, “no longer need to spend [their] time planning the stages of a new diet, constantly concerned about [their] eating, feeling guilty when [they] break promises [they’ve] made.” In fact, he claims it will become so natural one will hardly even think about the diet! [5] Naturally this is appealing to dieters that have difficulty adhering to a strict regimen.

Dr. Atkins first published a book on low-carbohydrate dieting in 1972, and has published many more since then, including cookbooks, new editions of his dieting book, and supplemental information regarding his dieting system. Dr. Atkins rightly claims that the method of burning fat his diet uses is very efficient: the body uses body fat as a fuel instead of storing body fat!

How does it work?

The point of Atkins is, of course, to help people lose weight. It is a system that, if followed, results in burned (hence decreased) body fat. A positive aspect of Atkins is that, other than carbohydrates, dieters can eat essentially anything they want. This “anything” includes greasy, fried, and fast food. [6] Dieters on Atkins can indulge in the traditionally “guilty pleasures” as often as they like, so long as their carbohydrate level is below their critical carbohydrate threshold- the threshold below which the body is kept in a state called “ketosis” (described below).

During the “induction phase” of the diet, dieters must not eat more than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. These 20 grams do not include insoluble fiber, as insoluble fiber does not contribute to one’s caloric intake. (As an interesting comparison, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends at least 300 grams of carbohydrates daily for a healthful diet. [7]) Dieters on Atkins are forbidden fruit, bread, pasta, grains, and most dairy products. [8] The point in severely limiting carbohydrates is to put the body into a state called “ketosis”. During ketosis, ketones are released into the bloodstream and catalyze the fat-burning process. Normally the body is fueled by carbohydrates- specifically glucose- but in the absence of sufficient glucose, the body can fuel itself on fat instead. That is the object of the Atkins diet: to use the body’s excess stored fat as a fuel source instead of carbohydrates from food. To keep this process going, one must continue eating a low carbohydrate diet; otherwise, if enough carbohydrates are digested, the body will return back into “normal” mode and the body will no longer metabolize body fat as a fuel source.

After the initial “induction” phase, Dr. Atkins recommends three additional phases, theoretically spanning dieters’ entire lives. The second phase is the “ongoing weight loss” phase in which dieters slightly increase carbohydrate intake and slow down weight loss until approaching their “target weight”. There is no set amount of time for this phase, but it is understood that it is not a significant amount of time. Once near their target weight dieters enter the “pre-maintenance” phase, which increases carbohydrate intake to roughly 60 grams per day, further slowing weight loss. In the final phase, after dieters have maintained their target weight for at least one month in the third phase, the “lifetime maintenance” phase begins. In this phase, dieters increase carbohydrate intake to an absolute maximum of 120 grams of carbohydrates per day (but in general, must stay between 60-80 grams) and continue for a lifetime. The reason for slowly increasing carbohydrate intake is so the body doesn’t start to burn lean body tissue and protein, which is detrimental to one’s health. By slowing weight-loss (i.e. increasing carbohydrate intake), dieters are afforded a cushion to avoid adverse health effects. But, as readers will see below, restricting carbohydrate intake can be detrimental to one’s health in and of itself!

The Atkins fat-burning regimen is very efficient compared to other dieting methods, and can be of enormous value for certain people. The Atkins system, in general, works to help dieters lose weight. The burning question- no pun intended- is, “who this diet is really for?” Can anyone do this diet, or is it only for certain people?

Who is it for?

Unfortunately the Atkins Diet is not for everyone. Atkins wisely cautions people with chronic health problems to avoid his diet. [9] People who benefit most from the Atkins Diet are the extremely obese. Most people who are extremely obese need to lose weight more than any other health related issue. It also seems clear that a low-carbohydrate diet like Atkins is more effective in short-term weight loss than a normal-carbohydrate diet. Skov, Toubro, Ronn, Holm, and Astrup conducted a study at The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Denmark, between low- and high-carbohydrate dieters. The results showed a low-carbohydrate diet is more effective in losing body fat than a diet with higher carbohydrate consumption. [10] For the short-term, this is very effective and in extreme cases it could be life-saving to shed large amounts of fat in a short period of time.

For those who don’t need immediate weight loss, however, it would be wise to seek other, more nutritionally sound methods of weight loss. A study conducted at the University of Kentucky on the Advantages and Disadvantages of Weight-Reducing Diets concluded that, “while high fat diets may promote short-term weight loss, the potential hazards for worsening risk for progression of atherosclerosis override the short-term benefits.” [11] Hence, the diet is not recommended to anyone except for those who need to shed pounds fast, as in the case of extremely overweight individuals. In the long term, Atkins is not an ideal diet.

Is it safe?

Dr. Atkins would say yes. Ignoring possible motives for his affirmative response momentarily- they will be discussed below- there is evidence to back up Dr. Atkins’ claim that his diet is not only safe, but more beneficial than traditionally recommended diets that restrict fat intake. In a study, funded by the Robert C. Atkins Foundation- an important fact to keep in mind- not only did dieters lose weight, but their cholesterol levels also decreased. [12] Promising results, to be sure, but the study was conducted on only 120 individuals and studied only short-term health effects; not to mention it was funded by Dr. Atkins! Despite the study, the American Heart Association (AHA) cautions against it, stating, “People should not change their eating patterns based on one very small, short-term study.” [13] In fact, in the same article cautioning dieters about the Atkins Diet, the AHA cites a study of 74,000 individuals over a much longer period of time. In the study, individuals who ate less fruits and vegetables than the other group in the study were much more likely to become obese over the long-term than those who ate ample fruits and vegetables; that is, ate ample carbohydrates.

Interestingly, the diet that purports to increase overall health is in fact suspect to decreasing one’s overall health. And a decrease in health seems to be the general consensus among health professionals regarding Atkins’ diet. Dr. Atkins offers responses to common, what he calls, “fallacies” regarding his diet. A glaring problem one might immediately consider on such a low-carbohydrate diet is the lack of fiber intake. It is well-known that fiber is an important part of the digestive process; lack of fiber contributes to bowel problems including constipation, and even increased cancer rates. [14] Dr. Atkins recommends a fiber supplement to his diet to compensate for constipation [15], essentially admitting his diet often causes constipation.

Another problem is the body’s production of ketones to burn body fat. The ketones the body produces cause bad breath, kidney disease, and gout (acid build-up in the blood). [16] Each one of these is alleviated to some degree by increasing whole grains, fruits, and vegetables- all high in carbohydrate content. Dr. Atkins claims his diet does not cause these health problems, but in fact helps decrease the problems. While admitting to the bad breath, however, his personal opinion is that it does not smell bad at all, but rather has a “sweetish smell”. [17] Consumers must also be aware that a large amount of the early pounds shed by Atkins is in fact water-loss due to the ketones in the body. [18] When ketones are produced, the kidneys try to rid the body of them and produce urine at a higher rate to excrete them, thereby dehydrating the body. Dr. Atkins recommends drinking a lot of water each day, especially early on in the diet, to avoid dehydration- again admitting to side-effects! Atkins’ bold claim that ketosis is “as delightful as sex and sunshine, and has fewer drawbacks than either of them!” [19] is clearly brought into question when considering the serious problems it can cause.

Possibly the most ominous of all the diet’s drawbacks is that the human brain is primarily fueled by carbohydrates. Some of the brain can not be fueled by fat like much of the body, and certain parts can be fueled by glucose alone. Animals can not function without a brain, obviously, so by limiting carbohydrates the brain has less fuel to properly function. Worst of all, brain cells use more than twice the amount of energy to function than cells in the rest of the body, so without enough carbohydrates, according to The Franklin Institute, one “compromises the brain’s power to concentrate, remember, and learn.” [20]

One must wonder that with all these potential adverse side-effects, and the need for dietary supplements, why on Earth one should do the diet. A balanced diet- one with ample carbohydrates, as well as complete proteins and “good” fat- has no need for supplements, nor does it cause adverse side effects like the Atkins Diet. Certainly weight will not shed as quickly on a “normal” diet of low-fat foods as on Atkins, but many health professionals agree it is, ultimately, a much healthier (read: safer) diet. For further information regarding dietary guidelines and recommended daily intake, refer to The Food and Drug Administration’s website at www.fda.gov.

Dr. Atkins’ Book: Dieters Beware

In his dieting book, Dr. Atkins extensively appeals to dieters through blame-transfer; that is, he essentially tells readers it is not their fault they are overweight. It is because of hyperinsulinism[21], which he implies is very common among people who consume more carbohydrates than he recommends. In fact, it is not an extremely common occurrence, especially among those with healthful diets. He also says overweight people are in a “horror story” headlined, “Innocent Human Being is Turned Upon by Own Hormones!” [22] It’s comforting to “know” being overweight is not one’s own fault. Atkins allows people to avoid facing the idea that their weight might in fact be because of their own bad lifestyle. Certainly not all overweight individuals are overweight because of their lifestyle, but just as certain there are.

Atkins also instills confidence in dieters, categorically proclaiming, “You will lose weight. … You will maintain your weight loss. … You will achieve good health. … You will lay the permanent groundwork for disease prevention.” [23] Atkins says these results will not magically appear, that his diet is not a magical solution to dieters’ problems; rather, it is “simply a matter of a change in lifestyle”. [24] Sadly, lifestyle changes are not easy to come by. It is extremely difficult to overcome habits engrained in one’s psyche for years upon years, including eating habits. Atkins makes it seem so simple, so easy to obtain positive lifestyle changes- for example, consistently eating a balanced diet and regularly exercising- for people who clearly have difficulty in achieving it already. So while instilling confidence is not a bad thing by any means, it is misleading the way Atkins presents it. It is the difference between reality and delusion.

Atkins also uses the Red Herring of refined sugar and white flour as bad carbohydrates to debunk carbohydrates as a whole. It is difficult to find a diet, even one high in carbohydrates, advocating soft drinks and white bread! Clearly diets high in sugar are not advisable, but complex carbohydrates still contribute greatly to a healthful diet, including lowering LDL (”bad”) cholesterol, decreased heart disease risk, and lowering chances for certain types of cancers. [25]

Further, Dr. Atkins’ book reads like an infomercial. Very often Dr. Atkins refuses to admit to a single drawback to his diet, while constantly proposing his diet is the “best” or “most effective” diet available. He also goes so far as to say the medical professionals who advise against his diet are “ill-informed”. [26] Atkins even refuses to call his diet a diet! Instead, he has decided to use the euphemism “Nutritional Approach” to replace “diet”.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Dr. Atkins stands to gain immensely from the success of his dieting program. One of the few studies of low-carbohydrate/high-protein diets resulting in positive data, as noted above, was funded by Dr. Atkins’ own foundation. The medical professionals from the American Heart Association [27], vegetarian groups [28], and various MDs [29] who claim the Atkins Diet is unsafe have nothing to gain financially. There is no motivation to advocate one diet versus another other than scientific knowledge. Atkins, on the other hand, stands to lose significantly if his diet is proven unhealthy, so he must provide an entire section of his book dedicated to the “fallacies” of his diet.

Conclusions

As Edison said, “there is no substitute for hard work.” Nothing worthwhile comes easy, and there are are no magical solutions to dieting. The Atkins Diet is valuable as a kick-starter for the extremely obese to help get out of dangerous weight territory, but as an ongoing diet it is not advisable. In most cases the adverse health effects of Atkins outweigh the benefits of speedy weight loss, so dieters should not be easily persuaded by promises of a perfect life if only they switch to Atkins. Instead of searching for Disney Magic to achieve Hollywood Beauty, both of which are illusions Atkins perpetuates in his book Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, dieters should substitute dedication to a nutritionally sound diet. A change in lifestyle that includes regular exercise- exercising one’s thumb with video games and remote controls does not count!- as well as balanced carbohydrates, proteins, and fat is the best thing one can do for oneself.