In 2007, the Calorie Control Council estimated that 29 percent--nearly one-third--of all Americans were actively trying to lose weight by dieting. It's easy to see why diet books that promise quick results end up on best-seller lists. The Atkins diet and the South Beach diet are both book-based diets that have proven popular with American dieters.
Identification
The Atkins diet is based on Robert Atkins' book "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution," which limits carbohydrates and emphasizes protein, especially in the forms of meat and seafood, dairy and fat. The South Beach diet comes from the book "The South Beach Diet," by Arthur Agaston, and encourages consumption of healthy fats and limited, "good" carbohydrates. Both plans require dieters to go through a series of phases, starting with a very restrictive phase and progressing to a final, more liberal stage.
Function
The Atkins diet claims that people gain weight as a result of eating too many carbohydrates. By seriously limiting carbohydrates, you encourage your body to burn fat faster, leading to weight loss. Dieters on Atkins can eat large amounts of fat and protein. The South Beach diet also encourages dieters to avoid carbohydrates, but instead of avoiding them entirely, dieters are encouraged to replace refined carbohydrates, or "fast sugars," with healthier ones, called "slow sugars." Making the switch from unhealthy saturated fats to healthier unsaturated ones is another fundamental principle of the South Beach diet.
Effects
Following the Atkins diet can lead to more weight loss in the short-term than following other diets, including the American Heart Association's diet, according to three small-scale studies at the University of Cincinnati reported in the "Nutrition Action Healthletter." In the long run, however, the Atkins weight-loss advantage disappears, the health letter says. According to the "Harvard Health Newsletter," dieters lost six more pounds on average over a 12-week period on the South Beach diet than they did on the National Cholesterol Education Plan diet.
Considerations
The Atkins diet limits intake of fiber, fruits and vegetables, all of which play an important role in maintaining your body's health and reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke and constipation. Atkins also encourages consumption of red meat that can increase your risk for certain kinds of cancer. The South Beach diet restricts intake of some nutrient-rich foods, including carrots, pineapple and bananas. The low daily calorie intake also might not be enough for some people's nutritional needs--an average menu contains 1,200 calories for the day.
Expert Insight
A few months on the Atkins diet are probably fine, but if you spend years following the diet plan, you could be at risk for health problems, including cancer, according to an interview with Eric Rimm in the "Nutrition Action Healthletter." There's simply not enough research into the long-term effects of following the Atkins diet to support safe long-term use. The South Beach diet is basically a healthier version of Atkins, replacing some of that diet's more extreme guidelines with ones based on current knowledge about heart health.
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