Dr. Robert Atkins probably didn't know the incredible debate he would start when he first began to develop his controlled carbohydrate diet plan in 1963. But since then, the argument has raged over which diet approach--low-fat or low-carb--elicits the best weight loss and provides the most health benefits. The Atkins diet plan attempts to get your body to burn fat, which enables you to lose weight, according to the official Atkins website.
Theories
Your body uses carbohydrates to produce energy, notes Atkins. Each time you consume a meal high in carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, cereal or sweets, you burn off those carbs first, which means that you won't burn any fat in the meal and your body will store that fat, potentially leading to weight gain. However, if you reduce the amount of high-carb foods you consume, your body will switch and begin to burn fat--including the fat stored in your tissues.
Diet Stages
The Atkins diet divides your diet plan into stages, according to Atkins. People following the plan tend to struggle the most with the first phase, Induction, because that reduces carbohydrates the most. During Induction, you're instructed to consume only 20 g of carbs per day, and you need to eliminate most sources of starch, including grain products and potatoes. In the following stages, you can gradually add back in some of these sources of carbs, although in the final maintenance phase, you still shouldn't be consuming as many carbohydrates as you might in a typical diet.
Results
People following the Atkins diet plan lose weight, and in some cases, they lose enough weight to bring them down to a normal weight level, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The report notes that adherents to the diet may lose 7 percent to 10 percent of their body weight within the first three months. However, they begin to regain weight when they go off the diet.
Research
A Stanford University Medical School study published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" in 2007 compared the Atkins diet plan to other popular diet plans, including the Zone, Ornish program and the LEARN diet program. The study assigned premenopausal female patients to follow one of the diets for two months and then followed up with them for the next 10 months. Researchers concluded that women who followed the Atkins program weighed less after a year and also had more favorable medical test results, such as those for cholesterol and blood pressure.
Considerations
Although the JAMA study provides medical evidence for those who believe the Atkins diet plan works better than the traditional dietary recommendations to reduce fat in your diet, the jury's still out on which type of diet really works better, according to the USDA's diet analysis. If you're considering trying any diet, including Dr. Atkins' diet plan, you should consult with your doctor first to make sure you don't wind up with any form of nutritional deficiency.
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