Atkins Revisited - Fat People Posted by Jeff (Tuesday February 10 2004 @ 06:42PM EST)

Today I had lunch with a gentleman who was thoroughly engulfed in the Atkins diet. He had just met two of three dining companions, but that didn't prevent him from issuing a detailed divulgance of his dietary intake. (HINT: Nobody gives a shit.) It seems carbohydrate avoidance is a preliminary first step on the road to lean. Over time, an Atkins sucker^H^H^H^H^H^Hdisciple is allowed to add carbs back into his diet. "So," our new convert informed us, "eventually I'll be allowed to eat pizza again. Now, I won't be able to eat the whole pie, but I will be allowed to eat a couple of slices." No. I did not make that up....

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By Anonymous (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 06:35AM EST)

Have some compassion for someone who is struggling with a problem. At least he is making an effort. You schmuck!

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By Jeff (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 07:13AM EST) What do you think his problem is? [ reply | parent ]

By Tom (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 08:30AM EST) The problem of course is that he eats too much and exercises too little. If Atkins is successful it is not because of any novel chemical changes in the body, it is because the dieter ends up eating less calories overall. Since charbohydrates are the element of the average diet that has grown most over the last 30 years, largely in the form of sodas, treats and larger portions, removing them gives you a better shot. Additionally, the first 10 pounds lost with Atkins is water weight -- also tied to carb intake. This is helpful because it gives the dieter the feeling that success is possible. But unless they use this weight reprieve to develop exercise habits, they will eventually regain. Atkins autopsy has stimulated an interesting debate. [ reply | parent ]

By Jeff (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 08:39AM EST) The obesity epidemic is the Injun's revenge. Maize is the real culprit. Plentiful corn provides an abundance of high fructose corn syrup (HFC) to sweeten those god-awful sodas you mention. HFC is stable at room tempeture and serves as a preservative in just about every Atkin's taboo, dried pasta, bread, English muffins, frozen pizza crust, etc. It provides cheap feed for livestock which Big Food turns into super-sized portions. The Injun is laughing in his alcohol-induced comatose state down on his depressed reservation. [ reply | parent ]

By Funkman (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 12:51PM EST) Is the problem HFC or hydrogenated oil? Hydrogenated oil is very nice for food makers since it makes handling and long term storage much easier. But it has the tiny problem being difficult to digest as compared to other oils. [ reply | parent ]

By Jeff (Thursday February 12 2004 @ 12:07AM EST) I don't know enough to comment on that. [ reply | parent ]

By Funkman (Thursday February 12 2004 @ 06:57AM EST) A google search produces many links on the evils of Hydrogenated oil. ">Here's one example. [ reply | parent ]

By MattC (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 08:59AM EST) Atkins's gimmick is rapid weight loss in the first few weeks. A person that starts exercising and stops overeating will probably lose a pound per week. Atkins claims to give 1 pound every two days. There is some scientific basis to the "ketosis" theory of controlling blood sugar changes to increase the pace of fat burning. These blood sugar changes are related to insulin, and of course similar to the changes for which diabetics must compensate. I've heard of some crazy people injecting insulin to acheive weight loss (hello, Supermodels). This works, but isn't exactly healthy in the long term. Atkins works by the same principle. So Tom is partially right, Atkins is about reducing overall caloric intake, especially wrt shit foods like soda, sweets, white bread, and processed foods overloaded with High Fructose Corn Syrup. If you actually read the Atkins diet guidelines, you'll find it encourages consumption of vegetables, especially leafy greens. The long-term food intake will be green vegetables, some meat and/or fish, whole grains, with an avoidance of HFC and all the things it is in. Hardly outrageous. While the popular conception of Atkins is that one can eat buckets of lard, never exercise, and lose weight, that is not actually the case. Atkins requires DAILY exercise. It does tell you that if you are going to eat butter or cheese, the real stuff is fine, because the "low-fat" stuff is actually worse for you. And go ahead and eat that steak. [ reply | parent ]

By Jeff (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 09:44AM EST) For those Atkins afficionados too lazy to click Tom's link, here is the lead-in: Robert Atkins spent his life telling people they could eat fat and stay slim. But according to his medical records, the man behind the Atkins diet was obese at the time of his death. The medical records, leaked to the media yesterday, also showed that Dr Atkins had heart disease and hypertension, conditions that have been linked to high-fat diets. The Atkins estate, which stands to profit from the Atkins diet, did not offer enthusiastic support for the autopsy results... [ reply | parent ]

By Tom (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 11:28AM EST) Matt is right about ketosis. I think that's a factor in most diets in the early stages. I was referring to longer term changes. I also don't buy that there is any metabolic changes going on with HFCS -- I think it's simply quantity. It's cheap so it gets used a lot. I'm a big fan of the argument that the biggest driver of the US obesity epidemic has been economics. We have excess food and extraordinary competition for every food dollar one result of which has been that eating out has gotten cheaper in relation to eating in once the fact that more women entered the market during the same period. [ reply | parent ]

By Mark (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 12:41PM EST) So much for being anonymous - I was going to call you jerky-boy but i though i would be identified right away. [ reply | parent ]

By Jeff (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 12:49PM EST) Hmmmmmmmmm [ reply | parent ]

By Funkman (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 07:48AM EST)

I have a better diet, I call it the flu diet. Step 1) Find someone with the flu Step 2) Get the flu from person found in step 1 Step 3) Barf and feel miserable for 2 weeks. Lose 5 pounds from lack of eating Step 4) Repeat step 1 with another person with different flu strain until desired weight is reached This diet has the risk of other complications like influenza and pneumonia. But these complications are welcome since it prolongs the illness and extends the weight loss period, but it has a small side effect of death for some.

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By paulharvy (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 01:54PM EST)

Since Jeff has a problem of only telling part of the story, I decided to play paul harvy, and tell you the rest of the story. At first blush, the news has the potential to devastate the estimated 30 million followers of the counter-intuitive Atkins diet, which encourages people to eat a diet high in protein (such as red meat) but low in carbohydrates (cereals, pasta and rice). The medical report, leaked to The Wall Street Journal, shows that Dr Atkins, at 1.83 metres, weighed 116 kilograms last year. This would have given him a score of 35 under the body mass index calculation, used across the world to define whether a person is of healthy weight or not. Under the BMI, a score of 25 defines one as overweight. Over 30 and you are obese. But the Atkins company said yesterday that 27 of those kilograms were added to Dr Atkins's frame in hospital after his major organs had failed, leaving his body "grossly bloated and distorted" by fluid. It said no autopsy was done on Dr Atkins's body, so his heart and arteries were not examined, partly because his widow, Veronica Atkins, would not allow it. The medical report leaked to the Journal was based only on an "external examination" of his body by the New York City chief medical examiner's office. But Dr Atkins's medical report was released by an organisation that has long campaigned against his diet. It opposes consumption of meat and promotes a vegan diet as a way of preventing cancer.

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By Tom (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 04:34PM EST) Well, I don't think we have all of the story yet... The NY Times has an update. Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, stressed that it was not Dr. Atkins's health alone that interested him. "I'm concerned about the Atkins machine trying to play the card that Atkins was healthy and thin into old age," he said. In his view, the Atkins diet "is an imminent public health threat." Dr. John McDougall, a member of the Physicians Committee and an internist who had debated Dr. Atkins, said there was no doubt that Dr. Atkins had lost weight after his cardiac arrest, but before that was a different story. "I knew the man," he said. "He was grossly overweight. I thought he was 40 to 60 pounds overweight when I saw him, and I'm being kind." As for the buildup of fluids in his final days, he said, "I never heard of anyone gaining 60 pounds of fluid in nine days." He said he suspected that Dr. Atkins was unable to follow his own diet. Dr. McDougall agreed that the diet produced weight loss, but said he considered it extremely unhealthy and hard to follow. [ reply | parent ]

By Cher (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 04:45PM EST) For anyone reading Page Six, you know that the widow Atkins recently had a dust up with NYC Mayor Bloomberg over his comments concerning her husband's weight. Click here Bloomberg's description of the diet guru's girth came from seeing him at a fund-raiser at the Atkins' house in the Hamptons two years ago. "The guy was fat," Bloomberg said while eating with firefighters last month. "Big guy, but heavy." [ reply | parent ]

By paul Harvy (Wednesday February 11 2004 @ 08:29PM EST)

hmmmmm. New York Times report. I wonder if they actually talked to the doctor or just made the quotes up?

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By Jeff (Thursday February 12 2004 @ 12:09AM EST) Ah yes. When you don't like the message, shoot the messenger. Here's a hint: Follow the money. Who has a greater financial stake here, the New York Times or the Atkins estate? [ reply | parent ]

By paulharvy (Thursday February 12 2004 @ 02:11PM EST)

I'm sure that the NYT, and many other "news" organizations, is making a killing with this "news". Creating controversy sells "news" papers. Does Atkins have a stake? yes, but we already know the credibility of the NYT

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By Miss Ginger (Thursday February 12 2004 @ 02:33PM EST)

Let's get back to the fact of the matter, people on any kind of diet, and their inherant need to divulge every bit of food info, bodily functions, and books they've read on the topic. Why? Maybe they need to feel validated? Who the hell knows. One thing it does boil down to is this: overweight people trying to get a quick fix, rather than limiting their intake vs increasing output via exercise. The weight wasn't all put on over the course of six weeks, don't expect it to come off that fast. I know of a couple of people who find nothing wrong with telling you over coffee (extra cream, please) that this *new* Atkins diet (did you know they're back to the 'original' Atkins '72, now?) gives them 'bowel problems'. Lovely.

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By Cher (Thursday February 12 2004 @ 03:27PM EST)

To paulharvy's point, I have a feeling that the sales of books, speaking engagements, and food sales dwarf whatever "advantage" the NY Times would seek from bastardizing a single story. Besides, the Times isn't the only one to pick this item up. If the Times wanted to rely on sensationalism to sell papers, they'd be more like the Post - clever headlines, gossip, and a sports page that covers half the edition. To Miss Ginger, well said.

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By anna (Friday February 27 2004 @ 05:23AM EST)

wow all this is scary.. i was about to go for atkins!

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By dave (Sunday May 09 2004 @ 03:06PM EDT)

quit yer job, become poor, that will solve your problem. No cheating by going on welfare or food stamps either....collecting cans is allowed only. Eat Top Ramen...3 a day only and as much water as you want...you'll lose weight...I gaurantee it....

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By Killer Klown (Sunday October 03 2004 @ 03:06PM EDT)

lost 40 pounds on Atkins, BP went down, cholesterol went down, triglycerides went down. that was years ago, no problems as an after-effect. i eat fairly normally now but stay away from sugar, white flour. no fries with that burger sounds horrible, eh?

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By Killing Joke (Saturday January 08 2005 @ 02:56PM EST) I find it odd that the people above actually claim a "medical knowledge" with no such credentials and have never tried this diet to find out if it works. If one of the above "chattering masses" above could give it a go (Killer Klown excepted) they could report back and we could see if it works. Failing that, some sort of medical degree may be useful then comments could be based on learned fact rather than the ugly speculation and other peoples opinions. By the way, to all those above, Ive heard that if something has always been done a certain way, it will never be improved upon. A bit like making houses. [ reply | parent ]

By Jazzy Jeff (Thursday February 03 2005 @ 04:42PM EST)

I understand about the "medical knowledge"... However I heard from a nurse about all of the "Adkins" Diet fallout who are now on kidney dialysis. All it comes down to is that we all will die... at some point. There isn't a "quick" fix for anything. Some will work quicker but your price will be high for the long term if you do it that way. In life there are all trade offs... Behind a desk...get fatter... Heavy Labor or Farming... stay fitter but possibly get injured etc... TANSTFL There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch... my .02 Jazzy Jeff

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By procyber6 (Thursday May 05 2005 @ 07:50PM EDT)

great news the puzzel of the universe has been sloved not by science but by the spiritual mind the answer is the universe is the auroa of GOD spead it far and wide

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By procyber6 (Thursday May 05 2005 @ 07:53PM EDT)

great news the puzzel of the universe has been sloved not by science but by the spiritual mind the answer is the universe is the auroa of GOD spead it far and wide

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By izzy (Wednesday June 22 2005 @ 03:22PM EDT)

Everyone here should check out www.illwillpres.com and look for shit on the fatkins diet... it's hilaarious.. if you're a fat bastard be proud that you're a fat bastard.. if you're an anorexic freak with a thyroid problem.. FINE..be a twig!!!

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By procyber6 (Monday April 14 2008 @ 09:57AM EDT)

Spiritual wellness man seems more occupied withphysical side od life but puts little or no emphsis on the spirtual side. ironicaly it is the spiritual side (the unseen) which is more important. the flesh dies the spirit lives.

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