Atkins research: Interesting!

January 17, 2004

Anyone who is interested in Atkins should read this whole article. Seems like

" the company "

is changing tacks.

-- Heidi

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/18/nyregion/18DIET.html

After advising dieters for years to satisfy their hunger with liberal amounts of

steak, eggs and other saturated fats, the promoters of the Atkins diet now say

that people on their plan should limit the amount of red meat and saturated fat

they eat.

Responding to years of criticism from scientists that the Atkins version of a

low-carbohydrate, high-fat regimen might lead to heart disease and other health

problems, the director of research and education for Atkins Nutritionals,

Colette Heimowitz, is telling health professionals in seminars around the

country that only 20 percent of a dieter's calories should come from saturated

fat. Atkins Nutritionals was set up by Dr. C. Atkins to sell Atkins

products and promote the diet.

'''

The change comes as Atkins faces competition from other popular low-carbohydrate

diets that call for less saturated fat. A book on one such plan, the South Beach

Diet, came out in April 2003 and has sold more than five million copies. Atkins

representatives made the revision, Ms. Heimowitz said, because " we want

physicians to feel comfortable with this diet, and we want people who are going

to their physicians with this diet to feel comfortable. "

----------------

You should read this article soon, as the NYT only allows them to be

" free " for a certain length of time.

-- Heidi

January 18, 2004

Heidi,

Based on that article, it sounds that Heimowitz is just compromising to the

medical establishment so more doctors will accept the diet. It may be based

more on business than science. Atkins is dead so he obviously isn't around

to give his opinion on this. From everything I have read of his, this is

not consistent with his views but not exactly inconsistent either. His

contention was that high cholesterol was a function of too many saturated

fats combined with too many carbohydrates. You could raise or lower intake

of either one to bring down cholesterol and triglyceride levels. In his

last book on normal eating as opposed to weight loss, he does increase carb

intake and lowers saturated fat intake. I think this is one of the main

differences in his diet for weight loss as opposed to some of the others

like SugarBusters or South Beach. I haven't read South Beach but I know

SugarBusters has to have more limit in the amount of food intake to achieve

weight loss when doing this. But I question as to whether Atkins would have

approved of this change. I can't remember where it was, but I read him

discussing the effects of high fat intake which one was it sped up

metabolism. Thus theoritically he said, eating even more could speed weight

loss. Excess weight is major strain to the heart as well as the whole system

and I would think it debatable as to which would be more important - getting

that excess weight off first or decreasing red meat. Also red meat is the

best source of carnitine which is another that speeds up metabolism. He has

another article discussing that it may be quite helpful to those with

hypothyroidism which many over weight people have. He also promotes the egg

as one of the most perfect foods one could eat.

Needless to say, many of his followers have wondered what would happen with

his organization after his death. This indicates there is a new leader. It

will be interesting to follow what she does next.

Atkins research: Interesting!

Anyone who is interested in Atkins should read this whole article. Seems

like " the company "

is changing tacks.

-- Heidi

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/18/nyregion/18DIET.html

After advising dieters for years to satisfy their hunger with liberal

amounts of steak, eggs and other saturated fats, the promoters of the Atkins

diet now say that people on their plan should limit the amount of red meat

and saturated fat they eat.

Responding to years of criticism from scientists that the Atkins version

of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat regimen might lead to heart disease and

other health problems, the director of research and education for Atkins

Nutritionals, Colette Heimowitz, is telling health professionals in seminars

around the country that only 20 percent of a dieter's calories should come

from saturated fat. Atkins Nutritionals was set up by Dr. C. Atkins

to sell Atkins products and promote the diet.

'''

The change comes as Atkins faces competition from other popular

low-carbohydrate diets that call for less saturated fat. A book on one such

plan, the South Beach Diet, came out in April 2003 and has sold more than

five million copies. Atkins representatives made the revision, Ms. Heimowitz

said, because " we want physicians to feel comfortable with this diet, and we

want people who are going to their physicians with this diet to feel

comfortable. "

----------------

You should read this article soon, as the NYT only allows them to be

" free " for a certain length of time.

-- Heidi

January 18, 2004

I know that the following is preaching to the choir. But I've just got to

rant.

How many of you have seen reports of damage done to humans by following

Atkins lifestyle? I saw one article where three people were blaming Atkins

for their problems, and all of the symptoms listed could have come straight

from the " 92 Symptoms of Aspartame Poisoning " that's on www.dorway.com (do a

search for 92 symptoms).

When Atkins died it was law that his clinic had to be sold within six

months. That has been done. So, as I see it, unless one is following a

low-carb diet from one of the books Atkins wrote it is no longer the Atkins

diet, it is a low-carb diet.

After 30 of Atkins dieting is should have been obvious by now if red meat

and saturated fat were as unhealthy as some claim. I don't believe it.

Unhealthy is the 75% or more high carb fake foods that line the grocery

store shelves. Unhealthy are the dozens of vegetable oils on those same

shelves. Not the whole, natural foods that the human race evolved on. As

recently as a century ago people were eating large quantities of butter,

lard and tallow. And no heart disease in sight.

Now the " Atkins " people are saying eat polyunsaturated fats. Hasn't it been

proven that these fats are NOT healthy?

Read the articles at the links posted by Dedy on the sugar wars. No amount

of money will be spared to keep this country on a deadly high sugar diet.

And to hell with the people who suffer because of it.

It goes back to the saying, " If you can't make it in your own kitchen don't

eat it. "

I'll keep my red meat, eggs and saturated fats, thank you.

Thanks for reading.

Judith Alta

Atkins research: Interesting!

Anyone who is interested in Atkins should read this whole article. Seems

like " the company "

is changing tacks.

-- Heidi

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/18/nyregion/18DIET.html

After advising dieters for years to satisfy their hunger with liberal

amounts of steak, eggs and other saturated fats, the promoters of the Atkins

diet now say that people on their plan should limit the amount of red meat

and saturated fat they eat.

Responding to years of criticism from scientists that the Atkins version

of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat regimen might lead to heart disease and

other health problems, the director of research and education for Atkins

Nutritionals, Colette Heimowitz, is telling health professionals in seminars

around the country that only 20 percent of a dieter's calories should come

from saturated fat. Atkins Nutritionals was set up by Dr. C. Atkins

to sell Atkins products and promote the diet.

'''

The change comes as Atkins faces competition from other popular

low-carbohydrate diets that call for less saturated fat. A book on one such

plan, the South Beach Diet, came out in April 2003 and has sold more than

five million copies. Atkins representatives made the revision, Ms. Heimowitz

said, because " we want physicians to feel comfortable with this diet, and we

want people who are going to their physicians with this diet to feel

comfortable. "

----------------

You should read this article soon, as the NYT only allows them to be

" free " for a certain length of time.

-- Heidi

January 18, 2004

Is this two-faced, or am I misinterpreting it?

From page one of the article:

Colette Heimowitz, is telling health professionals in seminars around the

country that only 20 percent of a dieter's calories should come from

saturated fat.

From page two of the article:

Ms. Heimowitz said, " Saturated fat isn't as much of an issue when

carbohydrates are controlled; it's only dangerous in excess when carbs are

high. "

Judith Alta

January 18, 2004

Here's an Atkins link from England.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8126-965601,00,00.html

I'm not happy with the Atkins line of " food " as don't believe that it's any

healthier than any other highly processed fake food.

They keep saying that there is no long-term proof that the Atkins diet is

safe. If, after 30 years, they still don't know they better go back to

school. (I know. I sound like a cracked record.)

Judith Alta

January 18, 2004

Heidi-

Further corruption. How depressing.

>Atkins representatives made the revision, Ms. Heimowitz said, because " we

>want physicians to feel comfortable with this diet, and we want people who

>are going to their physicians with this diet to feel comfortable. "

-

January 18, 2004

>Based on that article, it sounds that Heimowitz is just compromising to the

>medical establishment so more doctors will accept the diet. It may be based

>more on business than science. Atkins is dead so he obviously isn't around

>to give his opinion on this. From everything I have read of his, this is

>not consistent with his views but not exactly inconsistent either. His

>contention was that high cholesterol was a function of too many saturated

>fats combined with too many carbohydrates.

I would tend to agree ... though I'd also like to know more about the actual

statistical connections that lead them to believe Sat. fat is so bad. I tend

to agree with the earlier post that a lot of it has to do with milk and meat

as they exist in this country ... so MANY people seem to have strange

problems with milk, that have to do with casein intolerance or hormones,

and the fats in the animals we are growing might well be pretty toxic.

Which reminds me: did anyone catch the NPR special about breast milk

in the Inuit the other day? A researcher was looking for PCB in breast

milk in industrialized countries, and used some Inuit women as controls,

because they live in one of the least polluted lands. He was shocked

to find REALLY toxic levels of PCB's and other contaminants in Inuit

milk ... because they eat a lot of seal fat, and seals are at the top

of the food chain.

The researcher was saying that at this high level, the contaminants

were no doubt producing kids with lower IQ's, developmental

problems, congenital defects. They want to start importing

food to the Inuit with lower PCBs. Now THAT is sad.

So in that case, there IS an actual causal connection between

eating " fat " and problems ... if you were just looking at the

statistics, and not looking for the underlying causes. If there

is a statistical connection between beef fat, milk, and disease

in America, then I'd expect the researchers at this point to chalk

it up to " saturated fat " (because those are the sources of sat. fat

in our culture) and we'll be hearing more and more of this.

And, us fat-lovers will need to find ways to make it easier to get

beef (and milk) from good sources.

-- Heidi

January 18, 2004

right, cause actually *cleaning up* the PCBs would be...ya know...effort.

can't have that!

/me stomps off to break something in rage.

At 02:25 PM 1/18/2004, you wrote:

>They want to start importing

>food to the Inuit with lower PCBs. Now THAT is sad.

atg technical support

support@...

1-800-RING ATG

January 18, 2004

The reason saturated fat is " so bad " is because the Edible Oil Institute (or

whatever it's called) wants to sell their cheap, junk veggie oil. And the

only way they can do that is to make people believe that whole, healthy fats

are killers and their trashy product will make all healthy, wealthy and

wise.

They are in it for the money and they know the dangers of the products they

push.

I don't believe there is much, if any, real science behind the saturated

fat is bad mantra.

Look at the studies on the low-fat diet. Most are dismal failures.

But because they lower cholesterol the tiniest bit they are declared

absolute successes.

Judith Alta

-----Original Message-----

>Based on that article, it sounds that Heimowitz is just compromising to the

>medical establishment so more doctors will accept the diet. It may be

based