The Atkins Diet - a critique

Recently a new version of the Atkins diet has emerged.  It is hitting the market full force, with recipe books, dieting strategies, and 30 minute meals.  The original diet was wildly popular.  Will this create a new wave of devotees?  While the original diet peaked in popularity around 2004, and mushroomed into a profitable business for Atkins, it has since faded.  Dr Atkins has passed and his Atkins Nutritionals has gone bankrupt.  Let's hope that people are smarter this time around.  I believe that this diet is dangerous and here is why:

The Atkin's diet severely restricts carbohydrates forcing the body to function on fat as a fuel source.  Fat is not a good source of fiber or nutrition, or even fuel.  Many research studies have proven that a high fat diet leads to heart disease.  Even if one loses weight with this diet, it does not create a healthy body.  This illusion however is enough to convince hard-core carnivores that a high meat based diet is healthy.

Here's how he did it:
Dr. Atkins created a weight loss program which resets the body's metabolism to burn fat instead of carbohydrates.  Dr. Atkins claimed that not only would the dieter burn unwanted fat, but he would achieve it while eating delicious foods and without the unpleasant experience of hunger or cravings.  He promised long-term weight management and relief from chronic problems such as hypertension and other “metabolic disorders.”  

The Atkin diet works by taking advantage of the way the body processes food for energy.  Normally the body will prioritize its quest for fuel by first turning to carbohydrates, second from protein and third from fat.  Glucose is the primary fuel for the human body and it is abundantly available from carbohydrates. Carbohydrate restriction causes the body to turn to alternative sources for fuel. Protein can provide some glucose, but the body cannot afford to breakdown muscle and organ tissue, so after about 10 days, the body turns to fat for energy.

Fat-burning generates large amounts of ketones, and virtually no glucose. Most of the body can utilize ketones for fuel, except for the red blood cells and parts of the brain which can only use glucose for fuel.  As a result, there is limited glucose for critical functions and the level of ketones rise in the blood. As ketones rise, the pH drops which is called keto-acidosis.  

Acidosis is associated with numerous disease states including asthma, diabetes and cancer.  Yet, Atkins’ called this a “corrective metabolic approach.”  The body needs to maintain its blood pH in a very narrow range of 6.9-7.2, preferring to stay slightly alkalotic at 7.0 or above.  When the body is in acidosis, the pH is less than 7.0 and the body is continuously stressed as it tries to correct the pH through a variety of mechanisms.   One of these mechanisms is to buffer it with alkalizing nutrients which are drawn from the tissues.  This will naturally weaken the tissues and sets the stage for illness. Another method to buffer the acidosis is to reduce the ketone level by releasing them through the urine, and by exhalation through the lungs.  This is why the breath of Atkins devotees has a strong odor. 

Another side effect of a fat-burning metabolism is a diminished appetite.  Any seasoned dieter will attest to the fact that when one limits caloric intake for 10 days or more, the appetite fades, as do cravings.  Atkins however, misled the reader to think that their diminished appetite was a natural result of superior nutrition. Later he contradicted this by admitting that his diet was deficient in certain nutrients, so he recommended his “VitaNutrient” supplement.  A large percentage of vitamins and minerals are found in vegetables, which are complex carbohydrates, which Atkins restricted. By limiting carbohydrates, one limits the vitamin and mineral intake, thus requiring supplementation. 

There were 3 phases to his plan; the minimum of 6 weeks and the maximum up to 6 months or longer.  The first phase which he called the “induction phase” had 12 rules about what foods to eat, how often, the amount of carbohydrates, and bans on junk food such as sugar, caffeine, soda or alcohol.  During “induction” the carbohydrates were severely restricted to only 20 grams, instead of the normal 60grams. Once the fat-burning metabolism had set in, one had reached the end of “induction.”

The second phase allowed the dieter to increase carbohydrates by 5grams a week, which would take one up to 40 grams after 6 weeks - still short of the normal 60.  This kept the body burning fat which created a long-term acidosis, further weakening the tissues by depleting them of their buffering nutrients, including calcium. 
         The third phase was “maintenance” where the person was encouraged to figure out their ideal carbohydrate intake and to simply continue to “count carbs instead of calories” for easy weight management. 

Dr. Atkins did not dwell on the costs of the program, as it did not require membership or special meals.  However, he was happy to have developed acceptable alternatives to muffins and bread which can be purchased to help “count carbs.”  They were considered acceptable because they were baked with sugar substitutes.  Atkins himself had blamed these same evil food additives for obesity and disease, but which he now rendered innocent – apparently due to their profit-making capacity.  

Like most fad diets, Dr. Atkins presented compelling success stories from a range of people with health issues that had been aided through adherence to his diet regimen.  In addition, throughout his book he deliberately attempted to persuade people on an emotional level by claiming that counting carbs instead of calories was:

·         “…galloping into acceptance among scientists…”

·         “…a food lover’s dream come true” 

·         that this kind of weight loss is “effortless and easy”,

·         that lipolysis (fat-burning) is “as delightful as sex” !!!

He even stated, “I want to increase your enthusiasm to a fever-pitch.”  So much for a rational science-based approach to weight loss. This is where his medical training failed him and profits altered his perceptions. 

Dr. Atkins vehemently denied that the resulting keto-acidosis was dangerous, and he insisted that in fact, keto-acidosis was a normal physiological state.  He even encouraged dieters to purchase lipid (pH) papers to show how they were in “lipolysis” -or a fat-burning state - which was really acidosis!  His medical degree was enough to convince the lay person who wanted to experience easy and orgasmic weight loss that he was correct. 

The success of his program can be found in that most people do not want to sacrifice their favorite fat-laden, high cholesterol foods in order to lose weight.  The dieter was given license to indulge in these kinds of foods and feel safe doing so because it was advocated by a doctor.  It seemed that the good Dr. Atkins was content to rest his laurels on the sheer number of people he had encouraged to follow his special diet.  He stated that because he was a full time medical practitioner, he did not have time to conduct studies or publish his results, and that the success of this program was self-evident.  Most people understand that simply losing weight does not equal health. While this diet is successful in helping people lose weight, it is widely regarded as a poor lifestyle change.

Independent studies have shown that if a person were to start exercising, reduce junk food, reduce overall calories, and start drinking water instead of pop, that they would very likely achieve the same weight loss, without disrupting the body’s normal metabolism.  But that is simply not as exciting and fun as being part of the revolution that rebels against sounds nutritional advice and common sense.  Many people still proudly talk about how they are “on Atkins” and how it has helped them lose weight.  Unfortunately, the level of saturated fats in the Atkins’ diet are high, which is a well know risk factor for heart disease.  At the end of the day, the reader would be better served with a change in lifestyle that included the reduction of saturated fats, relaxation techniques and regular exercise.  And those beautiful complex carbs can take center stage on your plate!


Let me know how it goes!
~ Rose