The Atkins Diet
If Jennifer Anniston, Catherine Zeta-Jones and half of Hollywood can get thin eating fried eggs and bacon for brekkie, so can you, right?
What it involves
Put very simply, it's a diet that is low in carbohydrates and high in protein, and follows different 'phases'. The first, called the 'Induction phase', lasts for 14 days, and sets a limit of 20g of carbohydrate each day. If that doesn't mean much to you, consider the fact that an average-sized banana contains 22g - not much is it? Following a diet that mainly consists of meat, fish, eggs and cheese, green and salad vegetables, butter and oil, this phase often leads to the most rapid weight loss.
The second phase, called the 'Ongoing Weight Loss Phase', ups the carbohydrate intake to 40g. At the start of this phase, dieters set an ideal weight target, and basically continue like this until they reach it. Only at this stage are dieters allowed to introduce more carbohydrates, but the daily intake should never exceed 90g a day.
The science bit
In theory, high-carbohydrate diets rapidly increase the body's production of insulin, and insulin invites body cells to store fat. So, by limiting carbohydrates you avoid high insulin levels and lose weight.
The case for
Rapidly becoming one of the world's most popular diets, Dr Atkins has sold more than 10 million copies of his book, even managing to knock Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix off its place at the top of the UK bestseller list. It all makes for a pretty impressive CV, but why are so many people buying in to it?
A recent study that examined two groups of dieters (one on the Atkins diet and another on a conventional diet of 60% carbohydrates, 25% fat and 15% protein) revealed that during the early stages of dieting, the Atkins group lost twice as much weight as the conventional group.
The case against
Woo-hoo! - just a few weeks and you'll be back into those 'only on a skinny day' jeans - and you're allowed to drown yourself in fat while you're at it. Sorry to say it, but if it all sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
The list of potential problems from the diet's critics is endless. You name it; this diet's been blamed for it. Kidney and liver problems, increased cancer risk, heart problems, cholesterol problems and risk of osteoporosis are just some of them. OK, so a lot of the research has been based on high protein, low carbohydrate diets in general rather than the Atkins diet specifically, but then again, it has been around since the 1970s and Dr Atkins is yet to produce a study showing the long-term affects of his diet on heart health. It has to make you wonder.
A balanced diet is based on an average intake of 250g of carbohydrate a day, so it's no wonder that by almost cutting this whole food group out completely, you'll start to lose weight. Many nutritionists and physicians argue that this initial weight loss is mostly due to a calorie reduction (just like any other diet) and water loss.
Is it for you?
- As with all strict diet regimes, this is a fad diet that relies on an unbalanced intake of food groups - does it sound like a good idea to you?
- Even Dr Atkins himself acknowledges that this is a diet for life: "If a person does Atkins, loses weight and then returns to his old way of high carbohydrate eating, he will likely regain the weight," he says. Do you really want to live without bread, cakes and pasta? Forever?
- Take a look at your own dieting history - how many diets have you tried before? If you are looking for a miracle that doesn't exist, start to think about a long-term healthy eating plan instead.
- If you are really serious about losing weight, you'll need to introduce some exercise into your diet. There are loads of ways you can do this - try and find something you enjoy so you will stick to it. Our fitness section will help you.
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