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The Atkins Nutritional Approach, popularly known as the '''Atkins Diet''' or just '''Atkins''', is the most marketed and well-known Low-carbohydrate Diet . It was adapted by Dr. Robert Atkins in the 1960s from a diet he read in the Journal of the American Medical Association and utilized to resolve his own overweight condition following medical school and graduate medical training. After successfully treating over ten thousand patients, he popularized the Atkins diet in a series of books, starting with ''Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution'' in 1972. In his revised book, ''Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution'', Atkins updated some of his ideas, but remained faithful to the original concepts. The Atkins franchise, a business formed that provides products to those individuals on the diet, has been highly successful due to the popularity of the diet, and is considered the iconic and driving entity of the larger "low-carb craze". However, various factors have led to its dwindling success and the company founded by Dr. Atkins in 1989, Atkins Nutritionals of Ronkonkoma, New York , filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in July of 2005, two years after the death of Dr. Atkins. The company re-emerged in January 2006, and the Atkins logo is still highly visible through Licensed-proprietary Brand ing for food products and related merchandise. NATURE OF THE DIET The Atkins Diet represents a departure from prevailing theories. Atkins claimed there are two main unrecognized factors about Western eating habits, arguing firstly that the main cause of Obesity is eating refined Carbohydrates , particularly Sugar , Flour , and High-fructose Corn Syrup s; and secondly, that Saturated Fat is overrated as a nutritional problem, and that only Trans Fats from sources such as Hydrogenated Oil s need to be avoided. Consequently, Dr. Atkins rejects the advice of the Food Pyramid , instead asserting that the tremendous increase in refined carbohydrates is responsible for the rise in metabolic disorders of the 20th century, and that the focus on the detrimental effects of dietary fat has actually contributed to the obesity problem by increasing the proportion of Insulin -inducing foods in the diet. While most of the emphasis in Atkins is on the diet, Nutritional Supplements and exercise are considered equally important elements. Atkins involves the restriction of carbohydrates in order to switch the body's Metabolism from burning Glucose to burning stored body fat. This process (called '' Lipolysis '') begins when the body enters the state of '' Ketosis '' as a consequence of running out of excess carbohydrates to burn. Dr. Atkins in his book New Diet Revolution claimed that the low-carb diet produces a "metabolic advantage" where the body burns more calories, overall, than on normal diets, and also expels some unused calories. He cited one study where he estimated this advantage to be 950 calories a day. Atkins restricts "net carbs", or carbs that have an effect on Blood Sugar . Net carbohydrates can be calculated from a food source by subtracting Sugar Alcohol s and fiber (which are shown to have a negligible effect on blood sugar levels) from total carbohydrates. Sugar alcohols need to be treated with caution, because while they may be slower to convert to glucose, they can be a significant source of Glycemic Load and can stall weight loss. Fructose (eg, as found in many industrial sweeteners) also contributes to caloric intake, though outside of the glucose-insulin control loop. Preferred foods in all categories are whole, unprocessed foods with a low glycemic load. PHASES There are four phases of the Atkins diet: induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. Induction The ''Induction'' phase is the first, and most restrictive, phase of the Atkins Nutritional Approach. It is intended to cause the body to quickly enter a state of is allowed in moderation so long as it does not cause cravings or low blood sugar. If a caffeine addiction is evident, it is best to not allow it until later phases of the diet.http://www.atkins.com/articles/atkins-phases/phase-one/acceptable-foods/ A daily multivitamin with minerals is also recommended. The Induction Phase is usually when many see the most significant weight loss — reports of losses of 5 to 10 pounds per week are not uncommon when Induction is combined with daily exercise. Atkins suggests the use of Ketostix , small chemically reactive strips used by Diabetics . These let the dieter monitor when they enter the ketosis, or fat burning, phase. Weight loss will vary by person, especially based on the amount needed to lose, but most people average approximately 10% of their total weight loss within the Induction period. Other indicators of Ketosis include a metallic taste in the mouth, or bad breath. Ongoing weight loss The Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase of Atkins consists of an increase in carbohydrate intake, but remaining at levels where weight loss occurs. The target daily carbohydrate intake increases each week by 2 net grams. A goal in OWL is to find the "Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing" and to learn in a controlled manner how food groups in increasing glycemic levels and foods within that group affect your craving control. The OWL phase lasts until weight is within 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of the target weight. At first weeks you should add more of the induction acceptable vegetables to your daily products. For example, 6-8 stalks of asparagus, salad, one cup of cauliflower or one half of avocado. The next week you should follow the carbohydrate ladder Dr Atkins created for this phase and add fresh dairy. The ladder has 9 rungs and should be added in order given. One can skip a rung if one does not intend to include that food group in one's permanent way of eating such as the alcohol rung. The rungs are as follows:
Pre-maintenance Carbohydrate intake is increased again this time by 10 net carbs a week from the ladder groupings, and the key goal in this phase is to find the "Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance", this is the maximum number of carbohydrates you can eat each day without gaining weight. This may well be above the level of carbohydrates inducing Ketosis on a testing stick. As a result, it is not necessary to maintain a positive ketosis test long term. Lifetime maintenance This phase is intended to carry on the habits acquired in the previous phases, and avoid the common end-of-diet mindset that can return people to their previous habits and previous weight. Whole, unprocessed food choices are emphasized, with the option to drop back to an earlier phase if you begin to gain weight. POPULARITY The Atkins Nutritional Approach gained widespread popularity in 2003 and 2004. At the height of its popularity one in eleven North-American adults were on the diet {Link without Title} . This large following was blamed for large declines in the sales of carb-heavy foods like released C2 and Pepsi-Cola created Pepsi Edge , which was scheduled to be discontinued later in 2005. Unlike the sugar-free soft drinks Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi , which had been available for decades, these new drinks used a blend of traditional sweetener and the diet drinks' artificial sweeteners to offset the allegedly inferior artificial sweetener flavor. These "half-and-half" drinks declined in popularity as soft drink makers learned to use newer sweeteners to mask the flavor of Aspartame (or completely replace it) in reformulated diet drinks such as Coca-Cola Zero and Pepsi ONE . Robert Atkins died from a fatal head injury sustained in a fall on ice in 2003. The nutritional plan suffered from rumors and allegations that he was obese at the time and had died from a heart condition as a result. On July 31 , 2005 , the Atkins Nutritional company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after the percentage of adults on the diet declined to two percent and sales of Atkins brand product fell steeply in the second half of 2004. ''The Low Carb Revolution'' was a one-hour documentary television special on the Atkins diet. The special, which aired on Food Network Canada , on April 25 , 2004 , described how this diet works, had success stories, and quickly presented some recipes. CONTROVERSY with high Fat is a typical meal in the Atkins diet. The actual goal of Atkins dieters is to avoid high glycemic index foods such as soft drinks, fruit juice and potatoes. Atkins dieters can still enjoy a variety of food such as salads, cheese, and lean meats.]] An analysis conducted by Forbes Magazine found that the boxed retail Atkins Nutritional Approach food product is one of the top five in the expense category of ten plans ''Forbes'' analyzed. The analysis showed the median average of the ten diets was approximately 50% higher, and Akings 80% higher, than the American national average. Atkins was less expensive than Jenny Craig and more expensive than Weight Watchers , Costly Calories ''Forbes.com'' Low-carbohydrate diets have been the subject of heated debate in medical circles for three decades. They are still controversial and only recently has any serious research supported some aspects of Atkins' claims, especially for short-term weight-loss (6 months or less). But many in the scientific community also raise serious concerns:
Opponents of the diet also point out that the initial Weight Loss upon starting the diet is a phenomenon common with most diets, and is due to reduction in stored Glycogen and related water in muscles, not fat loss. They claim that no evidence has surfaced that any diet will cause weight loss unless it reduces Food Energy (calories) below the maintenance level, and reports have indicated that successful weight loss due to the Atkins diet may be the result of less food energy being consumed by the dieter, rather than the lack of carbohydrates. {Link without Title} They further point out that weight loss on fad diets, which typically restrict or prohibit certain foods, is often due to the fact that the dieter has fewer food choices available. On May 27 , 2004 , Jody Gorran, a 53-year-old Florida businessman with a family history of heart disease, filed a lawsuit in federal district court against Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. and the Estate of Dr. Robert Atkins, claiming that the Atkins diet regimen caused severe heart disease, making it necessary for him to undergo Angioplasty . He sought a court Injunction banning Atkins Nutritionals from marketing its products without a warning of potential health risks, and asking for Compensatory Damages . Gorran's complaint was dismissed by the court in December 2006 as being meritless, with the court stating, "Defendants' books and food products are not defective or dangerous products within the meaning of products liability law."''Gorran v. Atkins Nutritionals, Inc.'', 464 F. Supp. 2d 315 (S.D.N.Y. 2006). EVIDENCE IN FAVOR OF THE DIET Several randomized, controlled studies, published in peer-reviewed journals, have concluded that dieters on the Atkins diet have achieved weight loss comparable to or greater than other diets, up to 1 year. Blood lipids have also improved, and no serious adverse effects have been observed. There are no rigorous studies to show the results after 1 year. In the largest, most recent randomized, controlled study, published in JAMA (March 7, 2007), by Gardner at Stanford University, women "lost more weight and experienced more favorable overall metabolic effects at 12 months" than in other diets. The study followed 311 premenopausal, nondiabetic women, age 25-50. The women lost significantly more weight (mean 4.7 kg) on the Atkins diet than on 3 higher-carbohydrate diets (LEARN 2.6 kg, Ornish 2.2 kg, and Zone 1.6 kg), without increasing cardiovascular risks. Changes in HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and mean blood pressure significantly favored Atkins over the other three diets. The authors conclude: "Concerns about adverse metabolic effects of the Atkins diet were not substantiated within the 12-month study period." {Link without Title} Christopher D. Gardner, et al., Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN Diets for Change in Weight and Related Risk Factors Among Overweight Premenopausal Women: The A TO Z Weight Loss Study: A Randomized Trial. JAMA. 2007;297:969-977. March 7, 2007. When the Atkins diet was introduced in the 1970s, it was immediately attacked by existing experts, who claimed it was unhealthy and would fail. Subsequent studies have not supported those fears:
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