What the experts say
Both in the UK and abroad, the Atkins diet remains highly controversial.
An Atkins spokesperson points out that a number of studies since 2002, demonstrate some benefits of a low-carbohydrate diet -- especially when weight-loss results achieved with a diet like the Atkins plan are compared to weight-loss results on other diet plans.
However many health experts remain wary about the long-term safety of the diet.
Dr Robert Eckel, at the general clinical research centre at the University of Colorado in the US says, "Our worries over the Atkins diet go far past the question of whether it is effective for losing weight or even for keeping weight off. We worry that the diet promotes heart disease. ... We have concerns over whether this is a healthy diet for preventing heart disease, stroke, and cancer. There is also potential loss of bone, and the potential for people with liver and kidney problems to have trouble with the high amounts of protein in these diets."
Barbara Roll at Penn State University in the US says: "No-one has shown, in any studies, that anything magical is going on with Atkins other than calorie restriction. The diet is very prescriptive, very restrictive, and limits half of the foods we normally eat. In the end it's not fat, it's not protein, it's not carbs, it's calories. You can lose weight on anything that helps you to eat less, but that doesn't mean it's good for you."
Food for thought
The Atkins theories remain unproven, and most experts are concerned that a high-protein, high-fat diet can cause a host of problems, particularly for the large segment of the population that is at risk of heart disease. What's more, the plan doesn't permit a high intake of fruit and vegetables, recommended by most nutrition experts because of the numerous documented health benefits from these foods.
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