Atkins Diet: Quick results don't mean best results

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Atkins Diet: Quick results dont mean best results

Abu Dhabi - Although Atkins often leads to significant weight loss, health professionals often criticise the diet's approach, suggesting it poses a risk of heart disease and colon cancer

By Jasmine Al Kuttab

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Published: Sat 3 Sep 2016, 9:42 PM

Last updated: Sat 3 Sep 2016, 11:45 PM

Also referred to as the Atkins Nutritional Approach, the Atkins Diet is a minimal carbohydrate diet, which was created by Robert Coleman Atkins, an American physician and cardiologist who argued that starchy carbohydrates are the primary cause of weight gain. Ironically, he suffered a cardiac arrest in 2002.
The founder believed that carbohydrates overproduce insulin (or hyperinsulinism) leading to a metabolised blood glucose, which eventually causes a greater appetite. The diet, which has had a rather controversial reputation throughout its history, due to its high fat intake, also emphasises on protein as the primary source of dietary calories.
An individual on the diet needs to carefully control his or her intake of carbohydrate consumption, and even the amounts of fruits and vegetables eaten.
Although Atkins often leads to significant weight loss, health and medical professionals often criticise the diet's approach, suggesting it poses a risk of heart disease and colon cancer.
Archana Baju, clinical dietician at Burjeel Hospital, said that people need to be aware about what they are getting into, before they jump into a fad diet, hoping for quick results. "Many fad diets are getting popular online and on social media. But a majority of these quick result diets, like Atkins, can't be followed for a lifetime.
"Observed for long periods of time, it has severe health effects on the individual," Baju added. Baju explained that following a diet that is high in saturated fats leads to a rise in cholesterol, thus leading to a risk of heart diseases.
Furthermore, relying heavily on protein as a main source of food intake leads to problems of the liver and kidneys. "There were a lot of studies done on groups of people who followed the Atkins diet, and it revealed that eating more saturated fats and heavy protein damages the heart, kidneys and liver over time."
Normal protein intake should be around 0.8 grams per kilogram body weight each day.
The right diet approach
The focus should be on creating a healthy lifestyle rather than a temporary quick fix, Baju noted.
"Many people are concerned with losing weight for occasions and events, such as a wedding or for summer holiday, and this is why they quickly put on the weight back."
Carine Tanios, senior dietitian at Nutri Nutrition Centre in Abu Dhabi, highlighted that quick results are not always the best results when it comes to achieving a healthy body weight.
"The no carbohydrates-rule for example, is not nutritional, because the body requires carbs for energy." Baju pointed out that consuming minimal to no carbohydrates would also cause depletion of vitamins and minerals that are only found in carbohydrates and not in protein.
"If you don't eat carbohydrates, you lack energy, leading to loss of concentration because your brain is relying on your body's sugar to function."
So those on the Atkins are unable to control their blood sugar, and therefore they often feel weak, shaky, dizzy and faint.
"Most of those keeping strict diets most likely gain the weight back, because they often miss eating carbs, so they will begin over-consuming carbs, which directly turn intos fat."
"If you lose three kilograms a week, you can be sure it's not coming from fat loss, but from water and muscle depletion," warned Tanios. "Our bodies start using muscle instead of sugar as a source of energy when we don't provide it with nutrients," she added.
Another Atkins concern is a high cholesterol problem. "When a diet is filled with high saturated fats, cholesterol becomes an issue, which can cause major problems."
The mother of three said that in spite of the quick results, after four months of eating a fat and protein filled diet, her cholesterol levels rose to dangerous levels. "I began to feel ill and weak far too often, and my body felt useless. Looking good on the outside was not worth it when I felt dead inside."
I didn't want my son to have an unhealthy mother, so I stopped the diet immediately."
Consulting a nutritionist heldped her create a proper and healthy eating plan to suit her needs. "I began losing weight and maintaining it the right way, by consuming the right amount of carbs, proteins, fats and nutrients. Five years later, I am at my happiest: physically, mentally and emotionally."
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com


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