If you're looking to lose excess weight or body fat, there are many different diet plans available to you. While effective diet strategies must reduce the calories you take in relative to the calories you burn, there are many mechanisms for going about meeting this goal. The Atkins Diet and the Zone Diet are two popular diet strategies.
Atkins Diet Basics
The Atkins Diet, popularized by Dr. Robert Atkins in his book "Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution," is a method of weight loss that encourages dieters to avoid consuming most carbohydrates. The theory behind the diet is that if you don't eat carbohydrates -- including starch and sugar -- your body is forced to burn fat for energy. Dr. Atkins further theorizes that this reduces episodes of high and low blood sugar, helping to reduce your likelihood of metabolic disorders.
Atkins Diet Efficacy
Some dieters have success with the Atkins Diet, while others find it impossible to sustain over time due to monotony. In a 2005 discussion paper, Dr. R. Kirby notes that the Atkins Diet and other similar carbohydrate-restricting diets are generally as effective as regular calorie-limiting diets as long as they're maintained over time. There is no evidence that the Atkins diet is any more effective than other diet strategies, however.
Zone Diet
The Zone Diet was popularized by Dr. Barry Sears in his book "The Zone." Dr. Sears proposes that dieters should eat carbohydrates, proteins, and fats on an approximately 40:30:30 ratio in order to maximize metabolic efficiency. He also recommends limiting calories to achieve weight loss, and emphasizes whole foods that are free from added fats and sugars. Dr. Sears suggests that the macronutrient ratios recommended by the Zone Diet help you avoid blood sugar fluctuations and metabolic disorders.
Zone Diet Efficacy
The ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats recommended in the Zone Diet is very similar to the ratios recommended by many nutritionists, and by the USDA. There's no scientific research to support the Zone Diet above any other caloric restriction diet, however. While the diet may have merit through helping to guide healthy eating, in a 2003 article in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition," Dr. Samuel Cheuvront notes that there isn't any evidence to suggest that the Zone Diet has a significant effect upon hormone levels or metabolism, as Dr. Sears claims.
References
- "Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution"; Robert Atkins; 1981
- Discussion paper developed for the AAFP Commission on Public Health; R. Kirby; 2005
- "The Zone"; Barry Sears; 1995
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; The Zone Diet Phenomenon; Samuel Cheuvront; 2003
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