Dr. Atkins Weight Loss Diet

According to the Centers for Disease Control, American society has become obesogenic, an environment characterized by overeating, unhealthy food and physical inactivity. However, the Atkins diet, a low-carbohydrate diet, likely promotes loss of water weight, the consumption of foods that leave you feeling full longer and an overall reduction of total calories consumed, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Effectiveness

In a study conducted at Stanford University from February 2003 to October 2005, the Atkins diet resulted in the most weight loss among diets tested. Researchers also tested the Zone diet, where 40 percent of calories consumed were carbs; the LEARN diet, which is based on of USDA pyramid, where 55 to 60 percent of calories consumed were carbs; and the Ornish diet, which requires that participants consume 10 percent or less of their calories from fat. After a year those following the Atkins diet had lost the most weight--10.4 pounds on average.

Function

The body burns carbs for energy purposes, with excess carbs stored as fat. By limiting your carb intake the likelihood of carbs being stored as fat is diminished, according to Dr. Gregory Petsko in the Dec. 22, 2003, issue of "Genome Biology." The body also has to find an alternative energy source after exhausting all consumed carbs, which leads it burn fat, resulting in weight loss.

Phases

Atkins Nutritionals Inc. shares its four phases for weight loss on its company website. The first phase, Induction, requires that the dieter eats no more than 20 grams of net carbs. In phase two, Ongoing Weight Loss, the objective is to discover the number of carbohydrates you can consume while still losing weight. The Atkins diet recommends that you quit adding carbs after your average weight loss per week reaches less than a pound. Phase three, Pre-Maintenance, seeks to find the carb intake necessary to maintain your ideal weight. You employ this phase after achieving your ideal weight. Phase four is a continuation of phase three; you consume the net carb intake discovered in phase three, allowing you to maintain your ideal body weight as long as you follow the diet.

Long-term Success

HealthDay News cites a study published in the March 2, 2010, issue of the "Annals of Internal Medicine," where three years after study participants went on a low-carbohydrate diet similar to Atkins, they had regained most of the weight they lost. Researchers explained that it is tough to stick with a low-carb diet because of the difficulty of refraining from foods made up of carbs for extended periods. This makes it likely participants will return to their old eating habits and their old weight.

Concerns

The Center for Young Women's Health referenced the concern of health professionals regarding the level of saturated fat consumed when participating in a low-carb diet. Unhealthy saturated fat is often associated with most foods consumed in high-protein diets. The Center also cites a concern with digesting high levels of protein, which replace your carb intake, requiring calcium from the body and extra work from your kidneys.