At the peak of the Atkins Diet's popularity in 2003 and 2004, approximately 30 million Americans were following the plan, according to Knowledge@Wharton from the University of Pennsylvania. Even now, it is estimated that about 25 million Americans are doing a low-carb diet at any time. While the diet has been shown to induce weight loss, scientists continue to study the health effects of the low-carb craze.
Premise
The Atkins Diet favors protein and fat over carbohydrates based on the belief that carbs increase the production of insulin, which stimulates the storage of calories as fat. When the amount of carbohydrates eaten is severely restricted, the body metabolizes fat as energy. The developer of this diet, Robert C. Atkins, M.D., calls this "Benign Dietary Ketosis."
History
Atkins first developed the low-carb diet in the 1960s, when it was also considered controversial. The diet's popularity surged again in the 1990s when Atkins published the book "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution." In the book, Atkins and his colleagues used the diet to treat obesity, along with Type 2 Diabetes and other conditions, at the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine in New York.
Phases
The first 14 days of the diet is called the induction phase and it restricts carbohydrates to a maximum 20 grams a day. It eliminates fruit, bread, grains, starchy vegetables and dairy products other than cheese, cream and butter from the daily meals.
The next phase is known as ongoing weight loss, and dieters determine themselves how much carbohydrates they can eat per day and continue to lose weight.
The final two phases are the premaintenance and maintenance phases, where dieters again can determine what level of carbohydrate consumption lets them maintain their current weight. In order to prevent regaining weight, dieters stay at that level of carbohydrate consumption.
Foods
The Atkins Diet encourages high levels of consumption of protein and fat, with unlimited amounts of meat, poultry, fish, eggs and most types of cheese. High-fat condiments such as butter, sour cream, mayonnaise and guacamole are permitted, along with all varieties of vegetable oil. Certain fruits, such as cantaloupe and berries, are permissible in small amounts, as are non-starchy vegetables.
To induce ketosis, dieters avoid consumption of carbohydrates, including bread, pasta, cereal, starchy vegetables (such as corn) and many dairy products. It also discourages eating fruit and foods that contain refined sugars, such as pastries or cakes.
Health Risks
Many health professionals consider the Atkins Diet to be unsafe because of some serious side effects than can occur. For example, high-protein diets can cause acidic urine, which leaches calcium from the body and drastically increases the risk for osteoporosis and kidney stones. Additionally, those on the Atkins diet can suffer from high cholesterol.
A September 2010 study by Harvard scientists follow the eating habits of 85,000 women and 45,000 men for 20 years and found that those who follow high-animal protein, low-carbohydrate diets have a higher death rate than those who follow other types of eating pans. However, people who ate a low-carb diet supplemented by plenty of vegetables had a lower risk of death.
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