Americans Abandoning Low-Carb Diets (Thank God!)

[Ratty]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040714/hl_nm/food_lowcarb_survey_dc

So much for the low-carbohydrate lifestyle.

More than half of all U.S. consumers that have tried following diets that eschew carbs such as bread and sugar have given up...

...fewer than one in five would consider buying a low-carb product because they perceive a diet low in carbs to be unhealthy.

That's unwelcome news for U.S. food companies such as H.J. Heinz Co. and General Mills Inc. that have scrambled in the past year to keep up with the low-carb trend by reformulating staples such as ketchup, cereal and yogurt to reduce their carbohydrate content.

Man, it is ABOUT TIME. Of all the goofy diet crazes this country has gone through, this one must have been the worst. The constant advertising, everywhere you go you can't get away from it. It's EVERYWHERE! Everywhere you look on the supermarket shelves it's low-carb this and low-carb that. I will be so happy when this fad is dead dead DEAD!

[Trajan]

1. I dont agree it is 'good' ....

NO and HIGH carb diets ARENT good, they ARE bad .... but some reduction of certain carbs is a good thing ....

Atkin's is NOT a good diet, because it cuts ALL carbs (as much as possible), and permits EXTREMELY high fat ingestion ....

GEEEEZ ....

South Beach, on the other hand, doesnt restrict ALL carbs, just the 'bad' carbs, like white bread, white rice and corn syrups ... WHOLE grain goods are allowed on SB: but it allows GOOD, low GI carbs, like wild rice, whole grain breads and whole grain cereals .... also: SB permits GOOD dietary fats, allowing olive oil and canola oil, natural nut fats, lean cuts of beef and chicken, and nearly ALL Fish foods ...

I dont agree: ALL low carb diets ARENT bad ... South Beach is quite healthy, satisfying, and worth the effort ...

[Misunderestimator]

33. Atkins does NOT restrict all carbs... the first 2 weeks only it minimizes

them. It's really not that different from South Beach, after the induction. I have really good success myself without any problem maintaining my weight staying on a lower-carb diet, though I don't really follow any of them strictly.

The problem is when people go overboard and continue the two week induction diet... not healthy at all for the long-term.

[Speck Tater]

38. The real problem is that the average dolt will say CARBS = BAD

and then go to ridiculous extremes that put their health in serious jeopardy.

I would think that anyone who knows anything about evolutionary biology would recognize that the diet that best suits us is the diet we evolved eating. Koalas eat eucalyptus leaves because that is what their digestive system evolved to handle.

Our biology did NOT evolve while eating refined sugar, white bread, and piles of meat. We evolved as hunter-gatherers, opportunistic carnivores who ate primarily vegetables, with some fruits, nuts and meat a few times a week when the hunting was good. What our system evolved to thrive on is complex carbohydrates. That what we burn most efficiently. That's what most of our diet should consist of. Anything else is like trying to burn diesel fuel in a gasoline engine. It's just going to gum up the works.

[tigerbeat]

2. gee, it just wouldn't be a day in the lounge.....

....without a "boy atkins makes me mad!" thread.

obsessing about other people's diets seems to be one of the silliest things spend time on.

[Trajan]

4. I own a gym ....

It is my job to get involved with these issues ....

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. My doctor gave me my diet

She says that the carbs I'm to eat should be whole grain and brown rice. I'm not to eat carrots, beets, raisins, or bananas. I AM to eat veggies and fruits (along with a protein source). I've never read the Atkins Diet or Southbeach, so I don't know what exactly they allow and don't allow. I do know that I am carbohydrate sensitive, and such should avoid processed carbs.

I would recommend that anyone serious about healthy eating go to a doctor who will personally tailor a diet.

[Trajan]

7. You are eating South Beach style ...

Some disagree with the Carrots ... but Agatston has toned down his objection to carrots somewhat ...

I would recommend these links : http://www.prevention.com/cda/feature2002/0,,5345,00.html

http://www.prevention.com/cda/channel2002/0,,s1-681,00.html

Agatston developed his list around the Glycemic Index (GI) rejecting foods the cause insulin spikes .... Carrots were mistakenly placed on the list because of the GI measurement methodology used at that time was faulted, he has since corrected this ...

SB is a great diet, and one I would recommend ... NOT Atkin's

[info being]

5. More Americans to get fatter and die sooner

That would be an alternate headline. Low car works.

[Skittles]

6. carbs have been around since time began

the problem is sendentary lifestyles, not too much freaking bread.

[Susang]

27. I was at my skinniest when I ate almost nothing but bread & carbs

Another problem is thinking that one diet, i.e. Atkins, South Beach, etc., is the gospel truth.

Hmmm.....let's see.....Marlon Brando made it to 80 years of age, Dr. Atkins died at 72. I know which lifestyle I'm choosing! :party:

[ThatPoetGuy]

8. Low carb works about as well as a Bush tax plan

It causes you to lose water from your muscles, making you weaker, while you become more and more fat. The scale says you're lighter, but you are becoming more and more feeble.

Low carb means you don't have glycogen storage, you don't have ATP, you don't have energy. There is no way anyone on a 40-30-30 plan can have a full and happy life.

[Dookus]

10. nonsense...

new science shows that at least for some people, low-carb has fantastic effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

[info being]

19. You have ABSOLUTELY no clue what you're talking about

I didn't to on Atkins to lose 40 lbs. of water weight 7 years ago and keep it off the whole time. If I did, I think I'd be a bit thirsty.

[Philosophy]

26. I'm on low-carb and I'm definitely not feeble

I run two miles a day and lift weights for two hours three days a week. I sure couldn't do that before I started this diet when I had a beer gut. I'd say I'm in the best shape of my life right now and I'm almost 32.

But I'm not doing one of those pig-out on all the meat and cheese you want perversion of Atkins. I eat in moderation and I get plenty of vegetables. And I've tried just limiting food without going low-carb before - I did lose weight but THEN I felt weak and miserable and craved food all the time. I think low-carb has changed my whole metabolism.

[readmylips]

9. When many people are out of work or in low paying jobs....

keeping up with an expensive diet of beef and expensive vegetables just does not cut it. We need the rice, potatos and bread to supplement our diets or go hungry. We can't even afford the cake.

What fat Americans need to do is to stop eating at McDonalds. Their food is disgusting, fried and mishandled. Besides, they cater to small people in poopy pants and runny noses that leave dirty hands filled with germs all over the place. Puke!

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

11. I could write a book on this subject

My mother in law, father in law and sister in law have all done it and are still doing it, as far as I know. My sister in law lost about 65 pounds on it, my mother in law 40 and my father in law maybe 20.

My best friend and her dad are low-carb FREAKS. They have both lost weight. They SWEAR by it and SWEAR they will never eat any other way. If it works for you, ok, but I don't want to eat that way.

It canNOT be good to do that to your body. They go on and on about how they can eat ALL the cheese and butter and meat and FAT they want! Whee! You know what they eat for breakfast? Beef jerkey, slices of salami and big hunks of pepper jack cheese.

I said that I thought it wouldn't hurt me if I cut down on my carbs, since I seem to follow a high-carb diet, LOL. But she told me it wouldn't work: you have to "shock" your body and put it in a state of ketosis in order to have the weight loss. HEH? She also said it's great because you don't have bowel movements as often. Uh, I already have to drink Metamucil from time to time, so it doesn't sound like low-carb would be very good for me!

I don't know, it's just another crazy diet to me. Just eat right, practice moderation, move your body a bit from time to time, no worries!

Edited to add watching them eat is like Meata-palooza. And raising grains takes less land and energy than raising cattle and other meat sources. I'm not a vegetarian but I play one on TV and that much meat makes me gag, seriously. I couldn't do it.

[tigerbeat]

16. i'm a vegetarian on atkins....

....and i speak from experience, the all-meat-all-the-time myth is just that. a myth.

i haven't eaten meat in over 15 years and i've been on the atkins diet for just over a year. lost 40lbs. eat the occassional pizza or fries if i want to. excersize moderately. and i'm the healthiest i've ever been.

no diet is perfect for all people. but all the "atkins sucks" threads here are starting to really wear on me.

[supernova]

18. Cool. Do you mostly eat

tofu for protein?

I eat a mixture of things: eggs, low-carb milk, protein shakes and bars (when meals aren't convenient), chicken and fish. Occasional fresh lean beef.

[tigerbeat]

25. most tofu and soy products are lo-carb

fake-meat type stuff works too. and eggs. plus i eat more vegetables and fruits than atkins-critics think are available on a lo-carb diet. and the appearance of some decent lo-carb pastas have made me happy. the "think thin" bars are pretty good snacky-type foods.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

20. Well if it makes you feel any better

I don't believe in ANY diets. I believe in being careful in our choice of foods, but never being rigid or restrictive. I believe in balance and moderation and moderate exercise.

I believe in listening to our bodies and the signals we get ("HEY! We're full down here! Stop eating!") instead of always going by the clock or cleaning the plate.

My friends are doing Atkins but the portions are HUGE. They can't eat most fruits or veggies (only the occasional tomato and something else) and I can't see how that can be good. Fruits and vegetables? They are awesome!!!

[Misunderestimator]

34. Not a vegetarian, but I don't eat much red meat and I do just fine

limiting carbs and eating vegetables, chicken, fish, etc. I also eat whatever I want in moderation. I didn't need to lose much weight (10 lbs) when I did it, just wanted to get back down to my normal weight... I exercise almost every day and have NEVER felt more healthy in my life without all those carbs weighing me down. Having been low-carb for almost a year now.

Oh... and NO cravings.

And, yeah... these Low Carb Diets Suck threads are tiresome, aren't they?

[supernova]

12. I do just fine on Atkins

on a moderate carb intake mostly from low glycemic veggies and fruits. I eat no flour, no sugar, and no potatoes or beets or the like.

[Taverner]

13. Low Carb works for some, not for others

Every one's body is different - some people get insulin spikes and gain weight, others burn it off, but fat tends to make them fatter.

In any case, excersize (combined with overall calorie reduction) is the only known sure fire method to lose weight.

[info being]

21. Right. Low-carb works for some...specifically those who

are ON it. If you cheat, it doesn't work so well. We're all human and our bodies work pretty much the same way.

[supernova]

23. No diet works

if you cheat while you're on it. That behaviour isn't restricted to users of the Atkins system.

[Donkeyboy75]

39. Fine. If that's true, then so is this:

An excess of calories causes one to gain weight. A deficit makes you lose them. If you ingest too much of one form of calories, your body has a ton of enzymes in your metabolic pathway that make it impossible to circumvent using "low carb" tricks. That's a fact, and there's nothing out there that can disprove that.

The ancillary benefits (lower cholesterol, etc.) may exist, but negative effects have also been shown.

[vi5]

14. All I know is I don't miss the 50 lbs. I lost on it.....

If you want them, then you can have them.

I was a sweets addict and Atkins was like "Sugar Reduction For Dummies" to me. And yes, I was a dummy.

But now I'll shell out the extra $$ for some sugar free and flour free sweet snacks.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

15. See that's the thing:

the people I know who are doing Atkins also eat tons of these low-carbs Reeses peanut butter cup thingies that Atkins makes (or one of those companies). How is it any healthier to eat that crap? Why not eat an orange for sweetness?

And I don't know anyone who did or does Atkins who also exercises. I'm sure there are people who do, but the ones I know don't.

[supernova]

17. I exercise

I walk about 4-5 miles a day and I don't pig out on sugar free candy.

edit: Why not the orange? Because in the beginning two weeks the idea is to get rid of the sugar. Oranges may taste good, but they are full of sugar and could cause a blood glucose spike (dampening your abilit to lose weight)

[info being]

22. I don't think that's healthy, but neither is the sugar alternative

Also, when you mix bad fat, like you find in these snacks, with sugar...it has a worse effect on your trigliceride level. In other words, without the bad carbs, you can eat more fat and be ok. But you can't do both.

[vi5]

24. If that person would have eaten regular reeses PB cups...

Then I would have to say that it is healthier. It's not like these are people who don't eat any sweets and all of a sudden start eating sweet substitutes like they're going out of style.

I would eat a lot of cookies and a lot of candies with full flour and full sugar content. Once I found ones made with healthier substitutes which were lower in calories as well, is when I started losing weight. People who are anti this thing, especially ones who have never been overweight, have no idea the psychology and compulsions involved in some of this stuff.

I also run about 15 miles a week and lift weights. When I did those things while eating full sugar and flour content foods, I couldn't lose weight I had previously put on.

[Misunderestimator]

35. Um.... here's one. Exercise should be part of everyone's life...

regardless of whether they need to lose weight. The people you know aren't following the diet... they are looking for a quick, easy fix.

[Amaya]

28. Eliminating an entire food group is ridiculous.

Won't work in the long run. IMO
Eliminating refined sugar and processed foods is the best bet nutritionally.

[Zomby Woof]

29. I am waiting for low-carb toothpaste

And then low-carb toilet paper and best of all, low-carb bottled water!

[ironflange]

30. A friend of Mrs. Ironflange's has been on Atkins for quite a while

She looks terrible. She doesn't seem any skinnier, prolly just lost some water weight, and she's always complaining about her cravings. I understand her husband is even worse. I thought that damn Atkins was supposed to be cravings-free, but it obviously ain't.

Now, without claiming to be a paragon of virtue, I have personally lost almost 30 lbs in about a year and a half. How? Patience. I don't go back to the stove to finish off what's left of dinner, cook lighter, cut back on the snacking, and get off my (formerly) fat ass and walk around the block once in a while. It's been slow, yes, but I'm down to the weight I was when we got married 22 years ago. I admit I'm not made of stone, and sometimes go on a bit of a binge (especially if BBQ ribs are involved :9 mmmmmm, ribs), but I've learned to do penance when that happens.

People are in too damn big a hurry to lose weight, nowadays it has to be 10 lbs in the first two weeks or forget it.

[marigold20]

31. I just don't know...

I see co-workers on break, morosely peeling yet another hard-boiled egg and I wonder about the Atkins diet. One successful Atkins dieter has lost about 40 lbs but also exercises faithfully. She does gain weight very easily - over the holidays for example, then goes back on Atkins to lose it. She made a snide remark about an orange I was eating so I assumed she really craved an orange!

[Djinn]

32. NO "diet" works

it's never a bad idea to reduce your intake of refined foods and if you're going to eat rice or bread why would you want to eat the white versions anyway that taste like shit?

Eating lean meat, vegetables and wholewheat products (the SB from what I can gather) isn't a revolutionary new diet it's sensible eating that's been advocated by nutritionists and doctors (those without books and packaged food to flog) for decades. Couple this with a reasonable amount of excersise and you're weight will be what it's supposed to be. It's not an exact science two people of teh exact same height eating the exact same thing and doing the exact amount of exercise wont neccesarily weigh the same but there wont be a huge difference. Unfortunately there are people who think that ANY body fat is wrong and therefore struggle to get the Calista look (which I had for a while - NOT out of choice or will - and it was highly unpleasant) but their problem is in their head.

Flat out low carb diets are as pointless as any other diet - we're just a bit too sophisticated these days to fall for the "grapefruit" diet and so now are falling for slightly more complex fads.

Refusing to ever eat the bun from a burger or a donut or a slice of toast is insanity and is highly unlikely to be productive in the long run - as with anything that makes people feel as if they're being denied.

[SarahB]

36. Guess what?

If you don't like a certain method of eating and it doesn't work for you, don't eat that way. Is that too complex for people or something? Have you ever read one research study, book on the subject, studied human physiology, or is this just a little rant for whatever reason?

[Speck Tater]

37. A study comparing Atkins diet to others was canceled when 3 died

out of the 66 people in the study who were on the Atkins diet.

It is a prescription for disaster!

This diet was first pushed by Dr. Carlton Fredericks in the 1960's, then discredited and forgotten. Then Dr. Stillwell resurrected the same old diet again in the 1980's and it was discredited and then forgotten. Then Atkins resurrected it yet again, and it's still a junk diet that does burn fat, for a while, but at a terrible metabolic price in the long run, including the risk of death from ketosis shock.

Atkins himself died of heart disease and was grossly overweight when he died. What role model for his junk diet.

[Dogmudgeon]

40. Sorry, Fiziwig -- these are all myths

Carlton Fredricks was far from the first low-carb proponant. The first popular proponant in the modern era was William Banting's Letter on Corpulence, written in 1869.

Sam Stillwell's version of it -- a very unhealthy version, since Stillwell restricted vegetables -- was from the early 1960s.

Robert Atkins was not "grossly overweight" and he did not die of heart disease. He had infectious endocarditis (which is completely independent of eating habits) and he died as a result of slipping on ice and injuring his head. He developed cerebral edema which became generalized (hence the rumors of his "obesity") and died after being in a coma for some time. I had a relative who died much the same way, and it sure ain't pretty to watch.

Low-carb dieting is far from "junk diet" or whatever other disparaging term you want to call it. There has been a large amount of well-conducted research done on it, and it's easy to find most of the major papers on the Internet.

--bkl