New Diet Revolution Review
In this book from the creator of the Atkins diet, the author claims that sugar, not fat, is the real culprit in obesity, and that avoiding carbs is the ultimate solution for overweight people. Atkins writes that in addition to aiding weight loss, his namesake diet has been used to help patients recover from a wide range of ailments, including yeast infections, digestive disorders, edema, hypertension, and diabetes. Atkins dieters eat unlimited amounts of fats and concentrated protein such as meat, eggs, and cheeses, and drastically reduce carbohydrates. Junk carbs like sugar, corn syrup, white flour, and cornstarch are completely avoided.
The beginning – Junk carbohydrates, of which sugar is the deadliest, raise blood insulin levels wildly and therefore act as triggers for atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases.
The program – including all four stages of induction, OWL, pre-maintenance, and lifetime maintenance. During induction and OWL, carbohydrate intake is limited to a maximum of 20 grams per day.
biochemistry – once carbohydrates are depleted, the body begins burning fat stores for energy, leading to breakdown products (called ketone bodies) circulating in the blood. As with fasting, this state of “benign dietary ketosis” causes weight loss, and after the first 48 hours, hunger and appetite decrease. Unlike fasting, however, ketosis preferentially burns fat (rather than muscle, for example) and is therefore safer, Atkins says.
The book is well written, listing several case studies as well as an extensive list of references, including books and journal articles on the Atkins diet. Also included are menus and recipes for the Atkins diet. The advantages of this dietary approach are listed and include suppression of hunger, reduced appetite and steady weight loss. However, reality seems to vary widely between different individuals, with many reported side effects of this high-protein diet, including headaches, bad breath, constipation, and fatigue, as well as weight plateaus and even weight gain. More troubling are anecdotal accounts of increased blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels in people following this diet, as well as scientific evidence that a diet high in animal protein, saturated fat, and cholesterol, such as the one promoted by Atkins, it can cause osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and various types of cancer.
My gut response to this approach is no: the diet seems unnatural at best. What Atkins labels “benign dietary ketosis” (the physiological state resulting from low-carb intake) seems anything but benign, promoting instead a disturbed acid-alkali balance in the body and a long list of unpleasant side effects. In addition, high-fat or high-meat intakes followed in the diet can independently cause degenerative disease, so dieters using the Atkins approach are at risk of a food double whammy (see, for example, http://www.bbc.co .uk/news/health-17345967 and http://bit.ly/MpTNTD). The Atkins program is complicated, with its many acronyms and the need to constantly monitor results through blood tests, lipolysis strips, and other measures. Extensive mineral and vitamin supplementation is essential with this program, an additional load. On the other hand, there is no doubt that this approach has helped many obese people lose weight. In fact, it is possible that for a subset of people, for example those genetically susceptible to carbohydrate imbalance disorders, this is the only way to lose weight. Even in such cases, it is better to avoid eating large amounts of meat. It would be interesting to see the results of a study on the effects of meat consumption vs. Vegetarian versions of the Atkins diet.
In conclusion, “New Diet Revolution” is a well-researched book that provides significant insight into the causes of obesity and clearly outlines how to follow an eating program that will enable rapid and sustained weight loss for many. This low-carb diet seems to have produced excellent results in helping obese people lose weight and keep the weight off for long periods of time. However, questions remain about its effectiveness for non-obese people and about the long-term health cost of any weight loss achieved with this method, whether performed by obese or non-obese people.