im sorry but i dont think he would DIE?!?! perhaps he *may* not be able to bike 60 miles a day but i certainly wouldnt classify that as "survival" anyway.

Thanks for pointing that out ceberezin! That is interesting to know. So, the insulin defect IS probably more common than the impression I had gained. Makes screening for fasting plasma insulins even more indicated I would think in order to get a handle early on this huge problem!

Actually, I think if those 75% numbers are correct then it is not an insulin defect at all. It would mean that eating excess carbs is a behavioral defect, and the body is simply doing all it can to combat the unnatural diet we are feeding it. The other 25% (if it is even that high) have a system that can fight these deadly poisons more effectively than ours. It reminds me of a post by Harvey, in which he said LC'ers are the norm and the high carbers are the deviation.

I think everyone should reduce their carb intake drastically, our bodies simply weren't designed to handle the extremely high carb diet the average American consumes. Atkins Induction level may not be right for everyone, but I don't think anyone needs to, or should, consume more than 30% of their calories from carbs.

I voted that "everyone should eat this way", with the definition of "this way" being "only eating what carbohydrates you can tolerate without side effects"; maybe 50-150 g per day, no over-use or abuse of junk food. Sure, many people can get away with "carb abuse", but that doesn't mean it's good for them.

I agree, since I did seven straight hours of lugging stuff around on Tuesday, up and down stairs and slopes. And I did it without a problem! AND without carbs!

And this is from a person who doesn't formally exercise. So do I think low carbing is better in general? Oh, yes.

I voted 2nd, but i'm thinking somersize

------
Don't trust my profile

In other words, would no sugar work for everyone?

YES.

Different people have different body types/needs/etc. Imagine if someone told you that a compact car and a semi truck would use the same type and amounts of fuel to get from one point to another. Would you believe them? This is essentially how different body types work. Just tonight I was watching "The Biggest Loser" on NBC. I was appalled by what they were doing. How can you measure true fat loss by a scale alone? There were several different body types present on the show, but they were all eating the same way and doing the same type of workouts. The dietary staff and personal trainers on the show should be ashamed of themselves for pushing such propaganda out to the American public. If they think they are doing something that will actually help these peolple out in the long run they are mistaken. Why not educate the public instead of blinding them with more nonsense?

Hi JonasKid:
I watched the show as well, you've missed the part when they were dunked in water to check body fat %.
I'm not sure if they ate the same diet, I remember that there were a variety of food for breakfast on the table and each picked what they wanted. Yes, they did the same workout but it was streneous enough and well structured, including cario and weights.
I'm afraid that their goal was to educate the public, to show that ANYONE can do this, I mean lose weight via diet and exercise. BTW, this girl Dana who was booted first, after the show lost an additional 15 pouds on her own, the picture was displayed.
The only drawback I see is as typical "reality" TV, we see just a tiny part of what was actually was going on. I hope that ppl will realize that no magic will happen, until they will take matter in their own hands, get off the couch and start moving. Diet is crutial but without exercise regimen, you will be just a smaller version of a fat person instead of a large one.
Different body types and metabolism do matter, BTW, fact that is largery ingnored on this forum, but everyone can figure out what works best for them at the end. All it takes, to make permanent changes in your diet/lifestyle regardless of what diet was choosen. No everyone can and want to achieve body-builder like physique with a very low body fat and well defined muscles. It requires more than just diet/exercise, it's more like a full time job. But for the general public, this show can be somewhat beneficial, espcially for those who are significantly overwieght.
And, on the top, they were offered a high protein/fiber and low carb diet.
Regards,
Dina

I didn't see the option I'd vote for. I think people who are physically active all day long can probably tolerate higher levels of carbs. Maybe some people with certain genetic predispositions can too, but basically I think a lot of the health issues we see at middle age and beyond are due to overconsumption of carbs, especially refined ones.

I voted for the first option. After reading all these testimonials about having different metabolisms, one would think you all are not of the same species! ALL our ancestors ate low carb, we are ALL best suited to low carb. If you are having problems when you initially try low carb, don't give up. Add a few carbs if you want. Or better yet, SLOWLY wean yourself down from your present intake.

And athletes do not necessarily need more carbs. Primitive man expended plenty of energy in his daily activities, and didn't NEED extra carbs. We don't NEED extra carbs. It might enhance one's performance, I don't know. But it comes at a price, and if an athlete puts his performance in front of his health, then that is not good. We criticize those who would take steroids to enhance strength.

100g is a LOT of carbs. Especially when you try and get it from healthy, unrefined sources. And consider also, that the person on Atkins induction, still has plenty of circulating blood sugar. We don't NEED carbs because we can MAKE carbs from other materials (certain amino acids).

I voted for those with sugar problems but I think it's way more common than realised. Most of my health problems (and they were many) disappeared when I started Atkins 6 weeks ago. Mum came on it with me and I was shocked to see how badly she reacted. She was abnormally pale even greyish, her whole body was tense, she had no energy to exercise which she did religiously, her hunger increased :S
She thought it was all in her mind as I felt FANTASTIC. I don't believe in the 'all in your mind' philosophy as it's been used on me too often :P I advised her that if she didn't feel good she should add more carbs in as she looked awful. She's back to low-fat calorie controlled and feeling good although she's not losing. She kept the low carb ideas in mind and has reduced them.

I don't think low carb is for everyone. I tried Paleo on and off for quite a while but it never led to any of the amazing results so many others experience (more energy, better skin, alleviation of depression and so on).

I have recently adopted a eat whatever I want but only when I am truly, physically hungry and it is working well. I still have some emotional eating issues that I am getting over but when I follow my new plan it does not matter what I eat, I feel better. My IBS clears up. My skin has been better and I feel more even over the day despite eating lots of carbs. I also have been craving more nutritious food since I stopped denying myself stuff.

This is just me, though. But it supports in my mind that not everyone thrives on low carb.

Y'know.... I wasn't sure exactly how to vote.

Early man lived on fruits and nuts, vegetation, and any animal they hunted and killed... lived on sugar cane as well...

Early eskimo lived on seal and fish. no veggies, no carbs, no fruits. no roots.

Then man invented processed food, and our troubles began.

so.... this was a hard one.