Dr. Robert Atkins wrote his world-famous diet book way back in 1992. So why all of a sudden, more than ten years later, is the infamous low-carb magnate back on everyone's hot list? Studies are being done at a furious pace to either support Dr. Atkins' findings or declare his nutritional recommendations dangerous and even deadly. His critics have jumped at the opportunity to pronounce the doctor's recent death a side-effect of his disastrous diet. But, like it or not, Atkins is such big news because more people are trying it and discovering it works.
Atkins induces a fat-burning metabolism by depriving the body of its main source of fuel, carbohydrates. To the horror of old-guard nutritional experts, including those who designed the government-sponsored food pyramid, Atkins recommends higher fat alternatives to replace "forbidden" foods. That's right, bacon instead of a muffin for breakfast.
If you read Atkins' book word for word, he lays out a nutritional plan rich in vegetables and low in trans-fats. In practice, though, many Atkins followers end up eating fatty, high cholesterol fare morning to night, which Atkins never specifically forbids. And although Atkins only prescribes the first phase of the diet (20 grams of carbs or less) for two weeks, he makes the medically questionable statement that it "can be safely followed for much longer." So as some people attempt Atkins as a quick fix, they find that the pounds immediately reappear (sometimes times two) when they start eating pasta and brownies again.
However, controversy notwithstanding, low-carb options have been popping up all over the place. Just as the restaurant business glommed on to the low-fat fad, offering cottage cheese and fruit plates followed by frozen-yogurt dessert, executives haven't been able to resist capitalizing on the newest get-skinny craze. Subway, Ruby Tuesday, T.G.I. Friday's and even Burger King have all started offering low-carb options. Countless grocery store products have begun carrying "low carb!" stamps, including soups, veggie burgers, yogurt and of course "meal" bars. I even found low-carb waffles!
Not surprisingly, the Atkins brand name itself offers everything from low-carb shakes to baking mix. Unlike the copycats, Atkins bars contain a balance of protein, fat and fiber to help, um, regulate your body's functions (which is good, since Atkins warns that the first stage of his diet plan may cause constipation). And while Ben & Jerry's low-carb ice cream tastes like artificially sweetened butter, Atkins brand is indistinguishable from the real thing.
So with Atkins back in the news and on the store shelves (and after half a semester of telling my girlfriends how ridiculous their carb-phobic lifestyles were), I decided to really find out the truth about the reborn weight-loss craze: I tried it. Here's something you probably didn't read: ATKINS MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE CRAP. No carbohydrates, no instant energy. And Atkins says no to using caffeine as a substitute. What's more, his website offers specific tips on how to deal with headaches, should one arise. Why? Because you'll have one, every day. Tiffany Scott, a Trinity freshman and former Atkins follower, told me "It works, but it's hell." After discovering on the second day that "Milk has carbs?!" I asked Tiffany what exactly I could eat. "Nothing that you like, I promise you," she replied reassuringly. A vegetarian, I found myself living on cheese and overpriced Atkins-brand merchandise.
On the third day I got a Great Hall salad topped with corn and black beans, admiring my progress. Then I went home and read in Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution that both corn and black beans are expressly forbidden during induction. So's peanut butter, another of my staple foods. I was outraged, but drowned my sorrows in an Atkins candy bar (made out of inverted sugar molecules that don't count as "net carbs," but do have a laxative effect--yummy).
The upshot of my Atkins findings? The research supporting it is extensive and scientifically valid, but the plan is healthy only when followed correctly. For people who are seriously overweight, the entire four-phase Atkins program (which eventually re-integrates whole grain and fruit carbohydrates into the diet) can help prevent diabetes, and, by lowering their weight alone, heart attacks. But for college girls with seriously distorted body images looking for a crash diet before spring break, eating 12 bun-less hotdogs a day isn't gonna get you anywhere.
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