chance
24-07-2005, 20:26
Myth: Initial rapid weight loss
Fact: During the 14-day weight loss 'induction phase', the diet is so low in calories that the body goes into starvation mode and most of the rapid weight loss is due to loss of water and not fat.
As the body metabolises fat, instead of glycogen, the body's metabolic rate can decrease by 20 per cent, after six weeks. So, your body becomes less efficient at burning off fat than before.
Myth: The diet is nutritionally balanced
Fact: Throughout all phases, the diet is deficient in fibre, vitamin E, iron, magnesium and folate, and excessive in total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, vitamin A, phosphorous and potassium. A deficiency in these nutrients can lead to low levels of energy.
Myth: Atkins is a 'diet for life'
Fact: The diet contains only 25 per cent of the recommended daily intake of fibre. The diet also contains a whopping 55-65 per cent fat, compared to a 35 per cent fat intake currently recommended by the government. High-fat and low-fibre intakes have been identified as risk factors for cancers of the colon, breast and stomach.
Myth: The Atkins is a low-glyceamic index (GI) diet
Fact: High-protein foods, not just carbohydrate foods, can increase insulin levels. Protein-rich foods and meals can produce more insulin than a serving of pasta. The GI of foods can also be effected by the amount and timing of the meal and degree of chewing. If the Atkins diet works, then it cannot be due to the diet producing small amounts of insulin.
Myth: Atkins is a safe way to lose weight
Fact: Short-term side effects include bad breath and dehydration (due to rapid ketosis), constipation (lack of fibre and too much meat based protein), and extreme mental and physical lethargy. Long-term side effects can be more serious, and research has associated the diet with kidney damage, osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer.
Myth: The Atkins diet is supported by research
Fact: Dr Atkins' theories of metabolic advantages from 1957-1975 are now considered dated and his studies are poorly designed. He only used a small number of subjects and there is no evidence of a control group for comparison. One study he cites was published in 1965 and used seven subjects for a period of 19 days and had no control group.
Myth: The Atkins diet is supported by the medical community
Fact: Many reputable and independent organisations, including the British Nutrition Foundation, the British Dietetic Association, the Royal College of Nursing and the British Kidney Patient Association, have expressed strong reservations about the diet and continue to do so.
Fact: During the 14-day weight loss 'induction phase', the diet is so low in calories that the body goes into starvation mode and most of the rapid weight loss is due to loss of water and not fat.
As the body metabolises fat, instead of glycogen, the body's metabolic rate can decrease by 20 per cent, after six weeks. So, your body becomes less efficient at burning off fat than before.
Myth: The diet is nutritionally balanced
Fact: Throughout all phases, the diet is deficient in fibre, vitamin E, iron, magnesium and folate, and excessive in total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, vitamin A, phosphorous and potassium. A deficiency in these nutrients can lead to low levels of energy.
Myth: Atkins is a 'diet for life'
Fact: The diet contains only 25 per cent of the recommended daily intake of fibre. The diet also contains a whopping 55-65 per cent fat, compared to a 35 per cent fat intake currently recommended by the government. High-fat and low-fibre intakes have been identified as risk factors for cancers of the colon, breast and stomach.
Myth: The Atkins is a low-glyceamic index (GI) diet
Fact: High-protein foods, not just carbohydrate foods, can increase insulin levels. Protein-rich foods and meals can produce more insulin than a serving of pasta. The GI of foods can also be effected by the amount and timing of the meal and degree of chewing. If the Atkins diet works, then it cannot be due to the diet producing small amounts of insulin.
Myth: Atkins is a safe way to lose weight
Fact: Short-term side effects include bad breath and dehydration (due to rapid ketosis), constipation (lack of fibre and too much meat based protein), and extreme mental and physical lethargy. Long-term side effects can be more serious, and research has associated the diet with kidney damage, osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer.
Myth: The Atkins diet is supported by research
Fact: Dr Atkins' theories of metabolic advantages from 1957-1975 are now considered dated and his studies are poorly designed. He only used a small number of subjects and there is no evidence of a control group for comparison. One study he cites was published in 1965 and used seven subjects for a period of 19 days and had no control group.
Myth: The Atkins diet is supported by the medical community
Fact: Many reputable and independent organisations, including the British Nutrition Foundation, the British Dietetic Association, the Royal College of Nursing and the British Kidney Patient Association, have expressed strong reservations about the diet and continue to do so.