Atkins Diet

The Atkins Nutritional Approach, popularly known as the Atkins Diet or just Atkins, is a fashionable but controversial high-protein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. It was popularized by Dr. Robert Atkins (1930-2003) in a series of books, starting with Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution in 1972. It has been astonishingly popular in recent times because of his revised book, Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, in which he revised some of his ideas but remained largely faithful to the original concepts.

Dr. Atkins argued that many eating disorders are the result of hyperinsulinism, or excessive secretion of insulin which comes through eating too many carbohydrates. According to Atkins, this causes food cravings and unstable blood sugar levels, which can cause mood swings, depression, and sleeping problems. Atkins claimed that his diet stabilizes insulin and blood sugar levels, eliminating cravings and often reducing appetite.

Aktins represents a radical departure from prevailing theories. He claimed there are two main unrecognised factors about Western eating habits, arguing firstly that the main cause of obesity is eating refined carbohydrates particularly sugar and flour, and secondly, that dietary fat is overrated as a nutritional problem. Consequently, Dr Atkins explicitly rejects the advice of the food pyramid, instead telling us that refined and processed foods such as bread and pasta are not healthy staples, and that the exclusive focus on the detrimental effects of dietary fat has actually contributed to the obesity problem.

The Atkins Nutritional Approach seems to provoke extreme reactions, to the point where even just discussing it can be a problem. Dr. Samuel Klein, of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, has reported encountering anger from academicians simply for daring to present data on the Atkins diet.

Nature of the diet

While most of the emphasis in Atkins is on the diet, nutritional supplements and exercise are considered equally important elements.

Atkins involves restriction of the intake of carbohydrates in order to switch the body's metabolism from burning glucose to burning fat (chiefly stored fat). This process (called lipolysis) begins when the body enters the state of ketosis as a consequence of running out of carbohydrates to burn. Although Atkins claimed that ketosis helped the body burn fat more easily, nutritionalists are quick to point out that the body will burn stored fat for energy whenever the calories taken in are less than those burned.

Atkins restricts "net carbs", or carbs that have an effect on blood sugar. Net carbohydrates can be calculated from a food source by subtracting sugar alcohols and fiber (which are shown to have no effect on blood sugar level) from total carbohydrates.

Preferred foods in all categories are whole, unprocessed foods with a low glycemic load.

There are four phases of the Atkins diet:

Induction

The Induction phase is the first, and most restrictive phase of the Atkins Nutritional Approach. It is intended to cause the body to quickly enter a state of ketosis. Carbohydrate intake is limited to 20 net grams per day. The allowed foods include an unlimited amount of most meats, a good bit of cheese and cream, two cups of salad, and one cup of other vegetables. Caffeine and alcoholic beverages are not allowed.

The Induction Phase is usually when many see the most significant weight loss - reports of losses up to six or eight pounds per week are not uncommon.

Atkins suggests the use of KetoStix, small chemically reactive strips used by diabetics. These let the dieter monitor when they enter the ketosis, or fat burning, phase.

ongoing weight loss

The Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase of Atkins consists of an increase in carbohydrate intake, but remaining at levels where weight loss occurs. Carb intake increases by 5 grams of carbs per day each week. A goal in OWL is to find the "Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing". The OWL phase lasts until weight is within 10 pounds of the target weight.

Pre-maintenance

Carbohydrate intake is increased again, and the key of goal in this phase is to find the "Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance", this the maximum number of carbohydrates you can eat each day without gaining weight.

Lifetime maintenance

This phase is intended to carry on the habits acquired in the previous phases, and avoid the common end-of-diet mindset that can return people to their previous habits and previous weight. Whole, unprocessed food choices are emphasised, with the option to drop back to an earlier phase if you begin to gain weight

Misconceptions about the diet

Many people incorrectly believe that the Atkins Diet promotes eating unlimited amounts of fatty meats and cheeses. In fact, while certain foods are allowed in unlimited quantities, the Atkins Diet is very specific in recommending lean meats, such as seafood and poultry. This is a key point of clarification that Dr. Atkins addressed in the more recent revisions of his book.

Another common misconception arises from the confusion between the Induction Phase and rest of the diet. The first two weeks of the Atkins Diet are extremely strict, with only 20g of carbohydrates permitted per day. The plan is very clear that dieters absolutely should not continue past the 2-week Induction Phase without slowly raising their daily carbohydrate count. Once the weight-loss goal is reached, carbohydrate levels are raised even further, though still significantly below USDA norms, and still within the definition of "ketosis".

Atkins claims that ketosis produces a "metabolic advantage", although this view is controversial. According to the theory, in order to lose weight on the Atkins Diet, the body must enter ketosis. This is achieved in the induction period, during which the dieter consumes less than twenty grams of carbohydrates per diem; when the body is suddenly cut off from carbohydrates, it enters ketosis and begins burning body fat. This is the basis of the Atkins Diet, and, according to advocates, the reason why it works. Conventional dietary wisdom holds that your body will burn fat for energy any time the calories you consume are less than those you burn.

Thus, consuming low-carbohydrate products every now and then will probably not affect body weight, since simply limiting carbohydrates will not do anything unless:

• The dieter has entered ketosis by going through a full induction period (assuming Atkin's theory is correct) or
• The food in question is low in calories and fat as well

Eating low-carbohydrate foods will not cause significant weight loss unless the above criteria are followed. Also, cutting carbohydrates is not equivalent to following the diet's guidelines.

This is in contrast to the South Beach Diet, which reduces carbohydrate intake but deliberately avoids inducing ketosis