by R. Drum

Created on: February 22, 2010   Last Updated: February 28, 2010

Dr. Robert Atkins stormed into the dieting world when he published his original book, "Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution," in 1972.  It advocated a low-carbohydrate eating program, sometimes called the Atkins diet or the “Atkins Nutritional Approach.”  The bedrock principle is that a healthy diet needs only a limited amount of refined carbohydrates, protein, daily exercise, and control of portions.

How does the Akins diet work?

The Atkins diet takes the controversial position that reducing dietary fat intake is not the only path to weight control and a healthier lifestyle.  Dr. Atkins argued that refined and processed carbohydrates (grains, pastas, fruits, potatoes) were responsible for excess weight.  He asserts that reducing carbohydrate intake is the key to sustained weight loss.  An excess of carbohydrates, according to Dr. Adkins, encourages the body to store fat.

Weight Loss; (3) Pre-Maintenance; and (4) Lifetime Maintenance. During the first phase, the dieter restricts carbohydrate intake to 20 grams each day, primarily by consuming salads and other non-starchy vegetables. During the second phase, the dieter is allowed to increase carbohydrate intake by adding nutrient-dense and fibre-rich foods, up to 20 grams daily during the first week and then increasing up to 30 grams daily during the second week as weight loss is gradually achieved. Then, the dieter is supposed to decrease carbohydrate intake by 5 grams per day in the following two weeks, as gradual weight loss continues. In the third phase, the dieter makes the transition from losing weight to weight maintenance, by increasing the daily carbohydrate intake in 10 gram increments each week. In the final phase of the Atkins diet, the dieter is allowed to select from a wide variety of foods while limiting the intake of refined carbohydrates to ensure maintenance of a healthy weight.

Health experts and dieticians have given the Atkins diet mixed reviews. Some health professionals are critical of low carbohydrate diets but have not totally dismissed the Atkins approach as an effective means of losing weight. One enduring criticism of the Atkins diet is that requires frequent animal protein consumption, and diets heavy on meat have been linked with cardiovascular disease. Atkins diet proponents counter that the program can be modified for different food preferences, after completion of the Induction phase. Vegetarians object to consuming animal protein, a

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