I heard about the Atkins Diet at my loan training class. My broker mentioned about trying this diet. Well, I am not into any diet programs, but I found an interesting article about The Atkins Diet:
"The Atkins Diet - Who's Kidding Who?"
by Moss Greene
The Atkins Diet, a $100 million company, after more than
thirty years of leading people to believe they could safely
eat all the meat, cheese and butter they want, are now
trying to shift their position claiming to be misunderstood.
Who are they trying to kid?
Responding to ever more growing criticism from scientists,
the Atkins Director of Research and Education, Collette
Heimowitz, claims she's been telling health professionals in
seminars for years that only 20% of a dieter's total
calories should come from saturated fat. However, a 20%
saturated fat limit was never mentioned in Atkins' books or
on the website.
In fact, Heimowitz has done nothing but promote the
unlimited use of saturated fat. For example, in a recent
article on the Atkins website called "Big Fat Lies," she
said, "Saturated fat has gotten a bad rap. You can enjoy the
rich, satisfying tastes and textures of saturated fats in
the form of cream, butter and meat without health concerns -
as long as you're on a controlled carb diet." What happened
to the 20% limitation?
"Trying to tell consumers to do math is futile," she said.
Does this mean she thinks we're stupid? Certainly most
people could have understood, if they had at least been
advised to eat mostly broiled fish, skinless chicken and
lean meat. But that never happened either.
No matter how much Heimowitz and other Atkins promoters try
to reposition themselves, their diet is still an unhealthy
plan. Responsible scientists, as a protection against heart
disease and cancer, recommend keeping saturated fats down to
10% (or less) of total calories. For the Atkins people to
try an about-face now, after over thirty years of saying
otherwise, is way "too little, too late."
The Professor of Cardiovascular Disease at Harvard
University's School of Public Health, Dr. Frank Sacks,
responded to the latest Atkins defense. "What they're saying
is ridiculous," he said. "It has nothing to do with science;
it has all to do with public relations and politics!"
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Moss Greene is the Nutrition Host at Bellaonline.com. Visit
her at http://www.bellaonline.com/site/nutrition to find out
how to look better, feel your best and have more energy -
naturally. Join her free health and fitness newsletter by going
to http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art2919.asp
