Posted 12/9/2002

Atkins diet meets with success

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

When a co-worker once saw Bob Keown eating three hamburgers without the buns at lunch, she gasped and said, "You're doing that Atkins diet. That's dangerous." Another told him that if he collapsed at his desk, she would pump him full of carbohydrates intravenously.

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(Picture) Bob Keown, of Decatur, Ga., has been on the Atkins diet for three years and has lost 60 pounds.
By Michael A. Schwarz, USA TODAY
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Keown, 39, a health care consultant in Atlanta, has always felt that he had to apologize for following the controversial high-fat, low-carb diet that helped him shed 60 pounds.

Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, updated from its first publication in 1972, appeals to Americans who love their steak, bacon and eggs, but not their fruits and vegetables. Cardiologist Robert Atkins allows dieters to eat hamburger, pork, butter and other high-fat foods and has them cut way back on carbohydrates, including sweets, some starchy vegetables and many fruits.

For years, nutritionists have raised concerns, because the diet runs counter to the advice of major health organizations, which advocate a diet relatively low in saturated (animal) fat and high in complex carbohydrates (grains and vegetables). Those recommendations are based on scientific evidence that such foods lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

But Keown and other Atkins followers may not have to apologize much longer. Several new studies show that some dieters lose more weight on the Atkins plan than on more conventional low-fat diets. "This research reflects my experience," Keown says. "I've been doing this for over three years, and I feel better and healthier than I did when I was eating lots of carbohydrates."

Critics say the studies are small and the findings are preliminary. They point out that other research indicates that the Atkins diet may increase the risk of kidney stones and bone loss.

And nutrition experts say the Atkins diet is not a practical long-term way to eat. Even the recent studies show that people "start to fade" on the diet at about the third to fifth month, says George Blackburn, director of nutrition at Harvard Medical School. "They just can't go without one of the food groups and be satisfied with the limited variety of foods on this diet."

Yet there is no doubt some dieters find it easier to lose weight on the Atkins diet than on more conventional diets. And many Americans are desperate to drop pounds: Almost 65% of adults in this country weigh too much.

Several years ago, government officials and obesity researchers called for scientific studies on the low-carbohydrate plan, and those results are beginning to trickle in. Among them:

* A study of 120 overweight volunteers, conducted at Duke University Medical School and funded by a grant from the Robert C. Atkins Foundation, had patients follow either the Atkins diet or an American Heart Association low-fat plan. Atkins dieters also took multivitamins and fish oil capsules, as the book recommends. After six months, low-fat dieters had lost 20 pounds; the Atkins dieters had lost 31 pounds, and they were more likely to adhere to the diet.

Total cholesterol went down 6% for the low-fat group vs. 4% for the Atkins group. Dieters following the low-fat regimen had a 22% drop in blood fats known as triglycerides and no increase in HDL, or "good" cholesterol. The Atkins dieters experienced a 49% drop in triglycerides and an 11% increase in HDL.

Lead researcher Eric Westman, associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center, says other studies found a similar Atkins effect without fish oil supplements, "so we believe there are effects from both the low-carb diet and the fish oil." But others disagree. Triglycerides "drop like a bomb" when you lose weight, and fish oil has a "major impact" on blood fats, Blackburn says.

* In another study, researchers at the University of Cincinnati had 53 obese women, ages 29 to 59, follow either the Atkins diet or a diet that got 30% of calories from fat. In contrast, Atkins dieters typically get about 60% of calories from fat, 30% from protein and 10% from carbohydrates. After six months, the Atkins dieters lost an average 18.5 pounds; the other group, 8.5. Both groups had normal cholesterol and experienced similar improvements in blood fats, says lead researcher Bonnie Brehm, assistant professor of nutrition in the College of Nursing.

Gary Foster, clinical director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, says the research results so far are preliminary and are not a license to pig out on bacon. "We shouldn't change our dietary guidelines based on a few studies. However, these data suggest that these diets may not be as harmful as we thought."

Foster is the lead researcher on an upcoming study of the Atkins diet sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The study, to be conducted at three universities, will track 360 participants in an attempt to answer questions on the diet's impact on weight loss, arteries, cholesterol, body composition, kidneys and bones.

Scientists also will look at whether it can be more useful for some people than others, and how much people are able to exercise while on the diet. They want to know why dieters seem more likely to stick with the low-carb program than a conventional diet.

One theory: Atkins dieters may eat less because of a loss of appetite resulting from ketosis, in which the body —deprived of carbohydrates — partly breaks down body fat and turns it into fuel. Another theory: People who have initial success on the diet are spurred to stick with it longer.

Atkins spokeswoman Colette Heimowitz says the diet's combination of protein and fat is more filling than a high-carbohydrate meal and avoids the blood sugar swings that high-carb meals can produce.

The plan seems to appeal most to meat-lovers such as Keown. Before he went on the diet, Keown says, he was a really big eater. He'd have a bagel for breakfast and was starving by 9:30, so he'd have another bagel, and another. "I'm not one of those people who is going to tell you that I hardly ate anything," he says.

Keown was up to 238 pounds on his 5-foot-9 frame when his wife told him about a friend who had dropped weight on the Atkins diet, so he decided to give it a try.

At first, he felt miserable. "For the first two days, I was in bad shape. I felt very weak, and my head hurt so bad that my vision blurred. And then it all went away." He followed the strict induction phase for two weeks, then adhered to the ongoing weight-loss phase for six months, losing about 60 pounds in all.

He says he has felt better on this diet than he ever did before. "I wasn't hungry. I'd look up from my desk and it was 3 o'clock and I hadn't eaten lunch."

A few weeks into the plan, Keown began running and started playing more tennis, rugby and street hockey, sometimes for several hours a day. He now weighs 175 pounds. His total cholesterol has dropped from 234 to 191.

Over the past three years,Keown hasn't eaten any junk food and not much starchy fare. No fries, no chips, no cake, no pizza, no bagels. But he has had lots of chicken wings, steaks, hamburgers, butter, pork rinds, eggs and bacon. "They are just heavenly," he says.

Keown has at least one negative side effect: occasional bad breath, perhaps a result of ketosis. "My breath can at times be deadly," he says. "It's a legitimate complaint about the diet, but I'll trade it for not busting out of 40-inch-waist pants."

Not everyone has had Keown's success on the plan. Richard Suisman, 71, a transportation consultant in Washington, D.C., followed the Atkins diet for a year. In the first two months when he was adhering to it rigidly, he lost about eight pounds, and his cholesterol dropped about 30 points. But then he went on the maintenance phase and regained the weight, and his cholesterol went back up to 240.

So he visited a registered dietitian and started a low-fat program that was rich in grains, fruits, vegetables and fish. He lost nine pounds in four months, and his cholesterol dropped 80 points, to 160. He was taking the same cholesterol-lowering drug during both diets.

He thinks the Atkins diet is too restrictive for the long term. "You are always watching yourself." The way he's eating now, he says, is "definitely more practical."

Katherine Tallmadge, a registered dietitian in Washington, D.C., and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, says she has seen many Atkins dropouts. "I can't imagine eating cheese without bread, crackers or fruit. What fun is it eating hunks of cheese or meat day in and day out?"

Blackburn of Harvard says dieters can get dramatic weight losses without eliminating food groups. "It's the junk food that's killing us, and if people would cut back on the junk food, they'd cut calories, lose weight, improve their blood cholesterol and prevent heart disease and cancer."

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On Bob Keown's menu
A typical day

Breakfast: Two or three scrambled eggs and six slices of bacon.

Lunch: Two or three hamburger patties (no buns) and a salad with cheese and Ranch dressing.

Snack time: Nuts or pork rinds.

Dinner: 24 Buffalo wings with celery and blue cheese; green beans; salad with Ranch dressing.

Snack time: Fruit, such as half a cup of blueberries or a slice of cantaloupe.

And to drink? At least a gallon of water every day.

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Food OK on Atkins Plan

Steak

Bacon (Limited to 2 slices)

Pork chops

Fish

Lamb

Chicken

Nuts and seeds (1 or 2 ounces)

Eggs

Cheese (limited to 3 ounces)

Regular high-fat salad dressing

Olive oil and other vegetable oils

Butter

Three to four cups of vegetables such as lettuces (endive, radicchio), asparagus, snow peas, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and peppers

Beverages such as water, club soda, cream (limited to two or three tablespoons a day), decaffeinated coffee or tea

Fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, melons, peaches

Beverages such as water, club soda, cream (limited to two or three tablespoons a day), decaffeinated coffee or tea

Foods eliminated during weight-loss phase and limited during maintenance phase on the Atkins diet

Sweets (candy, cake, cookies)

Potatoes

Rice

Pasta

Cereals

Crackers

Breads (whole grain, French)

Some vegetables such as peas and corn

Fruits such as bananas, apples, raisins, figs and papayas

Source: Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution


http://www.usatoday.com/news/health...ife-cover_x.htm

But she can imagine eating bread, crackers, and fruit without cheese. What is it with these people?

Sheldon

Such gross disinformation does Atkins a grave injustice--even in a generally favorable article. Then there's also the nonsense about the limited variety of foods. Does no one look at the chapters on pre-maintenance and maintenance? What would count as variety?

Low-fat advocates' criticizing Atkins for imposing limits is a cruel and hypocritical joke. Do they impose no limits? Do they exclude no types of food? Who are they kidding?

Sheldon

This is a pretty good article. I can sure relate to all the myths there are out there about what Atkin's is. I am gonna just explode when yet another person says to me "you need carbs, you need fruits and vegetables". I get tired of explaining that we DO eat vegetables on a regular basis and I eat fruit as a treat now and then.

I loved the "hunks of meat and cheese" comment. If I ate "hunks" of anything, I would gain weight. Goodness, I got this way eating "hunks" of rice, pasta, bread, and potatoes. Not only do they make me gain weight, but I cannot digest them well.

They say that people hit that wall at 4 or 5 months and are likely to quit Atkin's. Well for goodness sake, that happens on all food plans when people are trying to make life changes. Whether you are trying to quit smoking, learning a foreign language, or joining a gym - most people will not make it past the 4 or 5 months. It IS tough to make changes. Why do they expect Atkin's to be different?

Cindi

There is the gentleman that lost weight and then gained weight on "maintainance'. What did HE mean by maintainance. Too many people I know think its "you can eat anything you want" like you did before.. because now your "cured".
What happens when he goes to "maintainance" on what he is doing now.
I did the low fat thing. I got tired. I didn't have meat and fats to fill me up.. I could eat more and more. once the exercise stopped..and it had to as I had NOTHING behind it to keep it up, I gained like crazy.
show me a group that is able to stand the low fat thing for long.
They talk about those that fall out of Atkins.. but refuse to look at the larger numbers that fall out of low fat.
do those that fall out of atkins, are they the ones that think of this as a quick fix..and not a way of life?
Once you think of it as a Way of life. you start to look for things that make it easy.
and golly... in not one low carb book..do they EVER EVER forbid you good veggies.. when will they ever start to read what it really is?
Poofie!

What is this about eating chunks of cheese and meat. Actually I love extra sharp cheese and can eat chunks one after the other!

But how about all mixed up!

Usually I have 1/2 onion sliced up divided in half - 1/2 on each side of a steak, ground turkey patty, or chicken breast. Sprinkle olive oil, garlic on the onion. sautee on low heat. When the meat is done I drain off the juice - cut the meat into chunks top off with pieces and chunks of my favorite cheese - then turn up the heat and melt the cheese. Serve that on my plate with a spinach salad with olive oil with Ketocrisp sprinkled on top. Desert - Clementines or Red Grapes or Blueberries.

Now what is this about us not eating fruit or vegetables?

I think we will have to wait longer before the whole message gets out. Until then let the scientific studies do the talking.

I wish all these articles would drop the line about how people on Atkins don't eat vegetables. I'm eating more vegetables than I've eaten at any time since I gave up being a vegetarian 25 years ago! If there's one message I'd like to get out there in the media, it's that people on Atkins eat lots of vegetables.

Do we have any public relations folks out there who have ideas about how to get that message out?

I think part of the problem is that atkins doesn't advertise or explain his diet in detail on some of the radio, and tv interviews. The interviews or debates I have seen and heard with Dean Ornish , it was Ornish that takes the show. He is such a big mouth!

Their online website contains categorized feedback sections (health articles falling under the "Life" section) where I on the one hand commended her for doing a better job than most mass media misreporting on the Atkins Diet, but rebuked her for apparently not bothering to even skim the first few chapters of the book she was reporting, the better to have avoided her allowing the misinformation about eliminating an entire food group, as well as failing to point out the plentitude of veggies we eat. I also added the excellent point already made in this thread about the 72 year old's "maintenance" mode may not have necessarily corresponded to Atkins' formal definition of maintenance.

I say each and every time we see the same disinformation being parroted, we call them on the carpet. Eventually, enough editors and article writers (unless they're just shucksters for the low fat industry selling products) might get the message that something's not quite right, and maybe one or two of them might - gasp - even dare to open up Page 1 of the book in question and realize for themselves what's what. Look what happened when Gary Taubes bothered to turn the page!

My pet peeve is when people say "well if you're on Atkins, you'll gain it all back when you go off the diet". ..... Well, duh,..... that would happen with ANY diet (including surgery, I hear) if you don't permanently change your eating habits.

LC works for me - I've lost 90 pounds -- feel better than I have in years. (guess I need to update my profile)

I lurk a lot, so thanks to all of you for "being here".

I agree the articles are getting better and better. This is because we do not get news from journalists. They all tend to be followers and parrot the already acceptable facts. But what is acceptable is evolving in Atkins favor due to the overwhelming evidence.

I do take a couple of exceptions to the article:

[QUOTE]One theory: Atkins dieters may eat less because of a loss of appetite resulting from ketosis, in which the body —deprived of carbohydrates — partly breaks down body fat and turns it into fuel. Another theory: People who have initial success on the diet are spurred to stick with it longer.


This is the DESCRIPTION of weight loss! If this does not happen, then you do not lose weight!

Regarding limited choices: Yes, if you are on the Atkins, then, since society offereings are so one-sided, our choices do seem limited. For example, when you go into a 7-Eleven store you have: small pkg of ham, boiled egg, chunk of cheese, pork rinds. Quite limited because the rest of the whole store is all junk. But if you go to a store with good fresh food, you can eat the majority of items, except for the junk section.

Even the grocery stores are tough. Yes there is more good stuff, but you pretty much have to stick to the outside perimeter.
In fact last spring before I started this I remember thinking that all the good stuff was there!
Even in my favorite healthfood store its the same thing. Outside perimeter has MOST of what I need, and much of what is down the aisle's is for the low fat birds :-)
But more than that.. food on the outside means that YOU cook it..and it tastes so much better!
Poofie!

I was told that from the beginning, that; "the Atkins Diet Plan Doesn't Work", "...it's dangerous", "...it takes too much will power" and “...it will kill you.”

On my one year anniversary, I had lost 150 pounds. I was a insulin dependant diabetic, had high blood pressure and cholesterol over 350, I could hardly walk, even with a cane. I was taking 16 different medications throughout the day and my weight was 401 pounds.

Today, I take a multivitamin and an anti-inflammatory for arthritis. I walk at least a mile a day and I have my life back. Pretty cool for a eating plan that doesn’t work, huh?

BEFORE:

AFTER:

You be the judge. It is hard to argue with success.

You really look great.
The telling part is that you are feeling great as well!
Congrats!
Nedra

Definitely VERY cool Jim!
Bob