| |
| |
|
Weight Loss Information |
|
|
|
Atkins Diet Plan -- Are Low Carb Diets Doomed?
According to Veronica Atkins, the widow of Dr. Robert Atkins, the cause of his death was from falling on a slippery sidewalk with subsequent irreversible brain damage (from a CNN interview, February, 2004). Many critics of the Atkins Diet Plan claim the fall was due to a heart attack. This has not been verified to date. He was 72 years old. With all due respect to Veronica Atkins, I would like to assume Dr. Atkins did in fact suffer a fatal heart attack. This is in order to answer the following questions... The Atkins Diet Plan & Cardiovascular Risk Medically speaking, it is incorrect to associate Dr. Atkins' fatal heart attack to the use of his low Carb diet. There are two reasons for coming to this conclusion. However, both events occurred well above the age of 55...the cut off used for men to assign an increased risk for cardiovascular events to their first degree relatives. He was at an age which allows for the exclusion of any significant cardiovascular risk passing to his children. From an epidemiology view point, risk behaviors like smoking or eating a high fat diet are no longer considered as primary contributors in Dr. Atkins' death. Yes, eating a high fat diet may have played a role, but this is only speculation. Because Dr. Atkins was 72 at the time of his death, no risk for similar events is passed onto his first degree relatives and the risk for cardiovascular events is the same for everyone at that age. With all due respect, he died of old age. To blame the Atkins Diet Plan and low Carb diets in general is medically irresponsible. At 72 years old, there are several factors to consider when faced with a fatal heart attack, including the aging process itself. Veronica Atkins was quoted by CNN... "My husbands health at the time of his death is a sad and distracting sideshow, taking time away from an intelligent debate of the known science." For a more detailed discussion on cardiovascular risk and age, please visit... Low Carb Bankruptcy -- Evidence for its Ineffectiveness? The only correct way to measure a diet's effectiveness (or lack there of) is to study the evidence provided by clinical trials. Recently, a few good studies have reported on the effectiveness of the Atkins Diet Plan and other low Carb diets. In short, low Carb diets, measured at one year, are safe and effective in helping dieters lose weight. Like all diet types, the evidence for long term effectiveness (2 to 5 years) is sparse and inconsistent. Cardiovascular risk increases for some dieters on low Carb diets, not because of the carbohydrate restriction, but because of the consumption of foods high in fat. Also, sticking with the low Carb diet appears to be tough for most dieters beyond one year. And lastly, low Carb diets that promote long stages of measurable ketosis may cause rapid weight loss that is too extreme. This is a great way to guarantee weight regain in the near future. Conclusion Atkins death, from whatever the cause, can not be associated with his diet because he was 72 years old at the time of his death. Even if Dr. Atkins' death could be associated with his diet, no correlations could be made to similar low Carb diets, too much variation exists between them. Bankruptcy does not belong in a scientific discussion of a diet's effectiveness. To Healthy Living! Michael A. Smith, MD Dr. Smith is the Chief Medical Consultant for Diet Basics, a content rich weight loss website dedicated to all dieters. Please visit his site at...
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Why Do All Diets Fail? There's a dirty little secret in the diet industry. The sellers of weight loss programs won't admit it, but no weight loss plan works for everyone. Weight Loss Secrets from Hollywood Movie Stars - LA Personal Trainer Speaks Out! In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work with some of the most famous movie stars in the world. As a manager and personal trainer for Kathy Smith and her health club, I experienced first hand the secrets to the stars. Weight Loss Maintenance Tip - Staying Aware Stop Weight From Creeping Up By Staying AwareEveryone has small weight gains and losses but if those gains aren't noticed, and if the trend toward weight gain continues, then those extra pounds can become permanent. You'll know it because your clothes start to be too tight. Weight Loss and Water: The Unknown Secret Weight Loss and Water: A Way to Make Your Body Shed Pounds Fast and Keep Them Off!Almost everyone reading this -- even the skinniest -- think they should lose weight. And Americans are almost obsessed with weight loss. Who Else Wants To Lose Weight? Stop Dieting! From personal experience I have myself like all of you at one time or another tried dieting. I have lost weight on some plansbut in the long run was not able to sustain it. Fibre And Weight Loss: How Closely Are They Connected? The incidences of deseases like obesity, diabetes, colon deseases etc.are minimal in countries where the population has a regular dose of fiber in their diet. Hear What Your Diet Pills Say Used a diet pill recently and got depressed because you didn't lose weight? Don't blame the diet pills but hear what they have to say to you and then restart a diet pill weight loss plan more effectively.What you should know about your Diet Pill? Diet pills help in rapid weight loss? It is strictly for those who are above the BMI level of 30? You can rely on the pills for 8-12 weeks after which it begins to lose effect? When followed with a normal healthy diet and some walking or exercising habits, diet pills show excellent results in your body? All diet pills come with minor side effects. Changing Our Eating Behaviour Changing our eating behaviour is one of the critical lifestyle changes necessary if we are going to successfully lose weight and keep it off.For many people, changing eating habits is one of the hardest things they'll ever do, as anybody who has gone on a diet and tried to stick to it can attest. Magnetic Weight Loss -- Does It Work? Magnetic weight loss is the newest fad diet supplement to hit the net. What is it and how does it work. Mindfulness - The Key to Avoiding Overeating I made myself a sandwich today and thought I'd be efficient and do some work over lunch. I was brainstorming some ideas for my next article. New Weight Loss Plan -- Resistance Training My last article, Make Diets Work, concluded that dieting the old way (eating fewer calories) doesn't work. Diet shock, slower metabolism, and eventually, weight regain are inevitable consequences of dieting to lose weight. Movie Star Weight Loss Secrets - Kathy Smiths Former Personal Trainer Speaks Out! In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work with some of the most famous movie stars in the world. As a manager and personal trainer for Kathy Smith and her health club, I experienced first hand the secrets to the stars. From Now On, Europe Focuses On Dieting Pills A state of emergency has been recently put on European Union agenda. In the next ten years, European countries will be "on diet". Tips to Help Control Food Cravings Food cravings can be triggered by various things including low blood sugar, stress, and other emotional triggers. The best way to take control is to understand how to balance your meals and snacks to avoid the traps that trigger food cravings. The Cheapest Way To Stop Eating Junk Food and Start Finding Your Ideal Weight Again Your health is your responsibility. As a human being, youhave the choice to put in your stomach whatever you want. Lost Weight with Gastric Bypass? Hints for Great After Pictures I clearly remember how much I loathed having my picture taken when I was morbidly obese. Actually, I didn't mind having the picture taken, it was seeing the picture of the sad fat lady that bothered me. QuickTips for Healthy Weight Loss More than any other time in history, people are all vying to have the best, healthiest body. The health and fitness industries are making billions of dollars every year on herbal supplements , fitness equipment, gyms, and special diets. Faster Fat Loss Thats Healthy I received a telephone call from a lady last week. Her first word was "heeeelp"! She was on a weight loss program and only losing about one half pound per week. Are You Overweight Because Youre Not Sleeping Enough? If you're like me, you probably wish that there was a way for you to lose weight without having to put in much effort, right?Everyone knows the importance of exercise and how it helps us with weight loss, but on some days don't we all wish we can just sleep in bed and lose weight at the same time?Well, I've got some great news for you.. Low Carb Diet - The Way To Weight Loss? Everybody you know is on the latest weight loss bandwagon: The Low Carb Diet. They've seen the astounding results on the scale and have lost 10+ pounds in a short period of time.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
