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Dr. Atkins dies

One suspects that the Onion will report that he is merely testing a new technique for losing weight.
 
Victor Danilchenko said:
Whoops? What sort of a thing is that to say?
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I don't know, I read it after I posted it and thought the same thing you did.

Perhaps "Wow!" would have been more appropriate.
 
Victor Danilchenko said:
Whoops? What sort of a thing is that to say?
Click to expand...

There is a strong backlash against Dr. Atkins in the scientific/skeptical community as he was long considered a quack, but then unfortunately (for them) turned out to be right.

The ironic thing is that everything he has been saying is based on pretty basic, simple, nutritional science. But since the scientific community has been harping the "low-fat and high-carbs" mantra for so many years its become religious dogma to them.

I'm sure there are many who are secretly delighted that he's dead, but the fact of the matter is the damage is done. Dr. Atkins exposed the mythology of American nutrional science for what it was, and for that I salute him as a model skeptic and free-thinker.

requiescat in pace, Dr. Atkins.
 
i have to agree with evilyeti.

low fat diets were the rage in the 90's and people just got fatter. they replaced the fat in sweets with more sugar and it didnt work. has anyone gotten thinner eating "snackwells"? nope. the usda food pyramid is a joke. 9 servings of bread and starch a day? no thanks. finally atkin's methods are becoming more mainstream and accepted (and rightfully so). it's a shame he couldnt see the culmination of his efforts.

rest in peace.
 
EvilYeti said:


There is strong backlash against Dr. Atkins in the scientific/skeptical community as he was long considered a quack, but then unfortunately (for them) turned out to be right.
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Wow, you might to want to let the medical community in on that secret. The best that can be said so far are the results shown in this month's JAMA:

"There is insufficient evidence to make recommendations for or against the use of low-carbohydrate diets"

JAMA: Low Carb Diet Abstract
 
KillerBob said:


Wow, you might to want to let the medical community in on that secret. The best that can be said so far are the results shown in this month's JAMA:

"There is insufficient evidence to make recommendations for or against the use of low-carbohydrate diets"

JAMA: Low Carb Diet Abstract
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Or this one:

"Among the published studies, participant weight loss while using low-carbohydrate diets was principally associated with decreased caloric intake and increased diet duration but not with reduced carbohydrate content. "

I don't think it will shock anyone from Weight Watchers.
 
KillerBob said:

Wow, you might to want to let the medical community in on that secret. The best that can be said so far are the results shown in this month's JAMA:

"There is insufficient evidence to make recommendations for or against the use of low-carbohydrate diets"

JAMA: Low Carb Diet Abstract
Click to expand...

Wow, JAMA's blowing more smoke again, could it have anything to do with the fact that the establishment has been pushing a high-carb/low-fat diet for decades? Talk about rampant woo-woo'ism.

What they convienently neglect to mention is that calories from fat and protein make one feel "full" much quicker than calories from carbs. People trying a low fat diet often eat large portions of carbs to satisfy their appetite. Replace a fraction of those carb calories with fat & protein and it becomes much easier to maintain a diet.
 
pgwenthold said:

"Among the published studies, participant weight loss while using low-carbohydrate diets was principally associated with decreased caloric intake and increased diet duration but not with reduced carbohydrate content. "
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Unbelievable, they are saying the weight loss was due not to a decrease in carbohydates, but a decrease in carbohydrate calories. A total pseudo-scientific whitewash.

Dieting becomes much, much easier if you replace carb calories with proteins and fats. You eat LESS calories overall and feel MORE satisfied with the calories you do eat. Notice the study is careful to avoid mentioning the psychophysical nature of dieting.

What scientific evidence is there that a low fat/high carb diet works? I would point to the epidemic of obeseity among Americans as strong negative evidence.
 
EvilYeti said:

What scientific evidence is there that a low fat/high carb diet works? I would point to the epidemic of obeseity among Americans as strong negative evidence.
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It would absolutely idiotic to look at me as evidence against a low fat/high carb diet.
 
dumb

"What scientific evidence is there that a low fat/high carb diet works? I would point to the epidemic of obeseity among Americans as strong negative evidence."

You think that's strong negative evidence? How many people are using the low fat/high carb diet - apparently you're well aware?

Maybe the epidemic of obesity is due to people sitting on their asses the entire day and wishing a fad diet would "melt" their fat ass away.
 
I have my own Patented Diet Plan: Don't eat too much, eat foods that are at least somewhat healthy, and get at least a moderate amount of exercise. Works for me. I'm slightly overweight, but I have friends who are absolutely huge. They eat too much junk food, I see it myself. Obviously some people have trouble maintaining a healthy weight no matter how hard they try...it's not always as easy for them as it is for me. Maybe it's genetic in some of these cases.

I heard a commercial on the radio a few days ago for a Miracle Weight Loss" formula:
" I want to lose weight, but I don't want to go on a diet or exercise. I want to be able to eat whatever I want and still lose weight!"
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That is almost verbatim...I laughed out loud when I heard that. Generally speaking, that is why America is so fat...we're lazy! We always go for the "quick n easy" fix, in all areas of our lives. When will the FDA crack down on these types of scams (including health supplements that "cure diseases"etc)?
 
feeling full

Oh and I think the whole "feeling full" idea used in some fad diets is a load of bull.

I don't know if fats and proteins make you feel more full than carbohydrates or not - but all you have to do to lose weight is consume fewer calories.

Oh, you're still hungry? Just quit eating! After a few weeks of exercising your will power, you'll find your stomach is satisfied after eating less.

You don't lose weight unlesss you burn more calories than you consume. Who gives a ◊◊◊◊ whether or not it's high carb or low carb?

Who cares if protein makes you feel full sooner? You don't have the will power to put down your fork? Give me a break.
 
Re: feeling full

dingler44 said:
...but all you have to do to lose weight is consume fewer calories.

Oh, you're still hungry? Just quit eating! After a few weeks of exercising your will power, you'll find your stomach is satisfied after eating less.

You don't lose weight unlesss you burn more calories than you consume. Who gives a ◊◊◊◊ whether or not it's high carb or low carb?

Who cares if protein makes you feel full sooner? You don't have the will power to put down your fork? Give me a break.
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Exactly! I've lost about 15 pounds in the past two months, and several of my coworkers have asked me what my secret was. I tell them "I eat less, and exercise more."

Many of them don't believe me. They think there is some special diet or secret weight-loss pill that I'm using. Several have tried Atkins and other fad diet plans ('The Zone,' 'Eat Right for Your Type,' etc.) or diet supplements (Metabolife, collagen, chromium picolinate, etc.) and failed miserably. They're still trying to find that "magic" diet or weight-loss product.

Those who do understand this basic principle (to lose weight you must eat less and/or exercise more), tell me that they just don't have the willpower to eat less or the the time to exercise. I have no sympathy for these people. They will be fat until they accept responsibility, and give up their bad eating habits and sedentary lifestyles.
 
EvilYeti said:


Wow, JAMA's blowing more smoke again, could it have anything to do with the fact that the establishment has been pushing a high-carb/low-fat diet for decades? Talk about rampant woo-woo'ism.

What they convienently neglect to mention is that calories from fat and protein make one feel "full" much quicker than calories from carbs. People trying a low fat diet often eat large portions of carbs to satisfy their appetite. Replace a fraction of those carb calories with fat & protein and it becomes much easier to maintain a diet.
Click to expand...


"Rampant woo-woo'ism"?

Care to support any of that? If not, you might want to consider who's more likely the woo-woo here.

And just in case you point to the New York Times Magazine article, here's some perspective on that:


Big Fat Lie
 
As others have pointed out, at this time there's just no escaping the ultimate truth:

The only healthy, long term way to lose weight and eventually maintain a healthy weight is moderate diet and regular exercise.

(Notice the period at the end of that sentence)
 
KillerBob said:
As others have pointed out, at this time there's just no escaping the ultimate truth:

The only healthy, long term way to lose weight and eventually maintain a healthy weight is moderate diet and regular exercise.

(Notice the period at the end of that sentence)
Click to expand...
True, but overly simplistic.

What makes for a moderate diet? Just the number of calories you consume or do the types of foods make a difference? Does eating too many carbs lead to cravings for more and more like the low-carbers claim? What foods should you eat for optimum health?

What kind of exercise? How much? How much of a difference does it make? Unless you go from couch potato to total gym rat, exercise helps a bit but not as much as we are all led to believe.

You can't ignore the issue of why people who are overweight enough for it to be a health problem (10-15 lbs is not) eat so much. In most cases it's not due to laziness or lack of will power, but to deeply rooted emotional issues. That's the real obstacle to losing weight and keeping it off, but how to go about fixing these problems?

Sure enough there are no magic pills or diets for losing weight and keeping it off, but the eat less exercise more advice isn't very useful. I think a lot of people probably figure this out for themselves after a few fad diets, but very few ever have success losing weight.

The AMA deserves to be criticized about their state of knowledge of human nutrition. When it comes to helping people lose weight and keep it off (or better yet not get overweight in the first place), or telling people what they should eat to be healthy, the AMA is no better than many of the "woo-woo's".
 
I'm not a doctor, but I married one on TV...

At one point, I asked my wife about the Atkins diet. She has no doubts that the diet does work. From her (more informed than mine) opinion, her concern was the effects of being on the diet for a long period of time. When I heard about Dr. Atkins death, the news story implied that much of the resistance from the medical community came from cardiologists.

From an anecdotal view, I had two overweight co-workers (a couple) who tried the Atkins diet. IIRC, after a day or two they had splitting headaches, which they relieved by eating some carbs. They wound up losing the weight the more traditional way of eating less, eating more vegetables when they did eat, and exercising more.

..I think I'm getting a salad for lunch today....
 
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