Review of the Atkins Diet

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by: Mary Watson

The slimming and weight loss industry is worth billions of dollars, so it stands to reason that some people are making a good living at the expense of other people's misery. There’s diets, slimming formulas, pills, potions, hypnosis and surgery associated with the lucrative weight loss industry.

When it comes to deciding which diet is going to be suitable for you, which do you choose? With so many diets and weight loss plans jumping out at you every time you open a magazine, is it any wonder that the majority of dieters are totally confused?

One way to help you decide which diet is best for you is to read what other people say about them. It's all very well for the pill manufacturers to make wild claims about their products, because they are only interested in making sales.

Web sites like loseweightreviews.com were set up specifically so that ordinary people could post their personal experiences of the many diet plans, by writing a review. I would encourage you to help others by doing the same.

The Atkins Diet

One of the most publicized and controversial diets of recent times is the Atkins diet. Originally adapted by Dr. Robert Atkins in the 1960s, this is basically a low-carbohydrate diet. which encourages the dieter to eat unlimited amounts of meat, butter, and eggs. In his book entitled, Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution, he details his proposal to have some carbs literally banned. "Our laws must be changed to provide a proper way of eating for everyone." He wrote.

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The Atkins' diet was focused on fried pork rinds, thick cream, cheese, and meat. For Atkins, bacon and butter were health foods and bread and bananas were what he called "poison".

By drastically restricting carbohydrates, the body goes into a state of ketosis, which means it burns its own fat for fuel. A person in the state of ketosis gets their energy from ketones, which are small carbon fragments and are the fuel created by the breakdown of fat stores.

When the body is in a state of ketosis, the dieter will tend to feel less hungry, and therefore less likely to eat. However, ketosis can also cause a variety of unpleasant side effects such as bad breath and constipation.

But the question is… does this diet work or not?

Well, some people say it does and some say it doesn't. The fact is the Atkins theories remain unproven but the most alarming aspects of this diet are the possible health consequences.

Doctors and scientists are not concerned about whether the Atkins diet is effective for losing weight or even for keeping weight off in the long term or short term. Their primary concerns are focused on whether the diet promotes heart disease and whether this is a healthy diet for preventing heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

This diet can also initiate the potential loss of bone, and the potential for people with liver and kidney problems to experience trouble due to the high amounts of protein.

Nutrition experts are also inclined to support the scientific view, especially as the diet doesn't permit a high intake of fruits and vegetables.

Well these are just some of the facts concerning the Atkins diet, and I would recommend that you read further before you consider embarking on this one. It's better to be safe than sorry.