Graphic by Chris Griffin/The Battalion

Carb Wars

The Atkins Diet and others have students, restaurants looking for low-carb alternatives

By: Amber Gray

Posted: 4/16/04

Mary Beth George remembers the fad liquid and fasting diets of the1980s.

"I can remember even Oprah was losing a lot of weight from the diets," said George, a human nutrition lecturer and registered dietitian. "But pretty soon you saw her, like many other people, gain the weight right back."

Today, high-protein, low-carbohydrate fad diets, such as Atkins and South Beach, are sweeping across the nation as people turn to the quick weight-loss programs.

"People are now buying into these diets because they are telling individuals what they want to hear," George said. "When people are told they can eat fatty food and lose weight, of course it's going to sound like a good idea."

The Atkins Diet has more than 20 million followers worldwide, claiming individuals will lose weight quickly and effectively by following its guidelines.

"You do lose weight quickly," George said. "But people usually only use these diets for short-term lengths and then regain their weight back, sometimes gaining even more than before."

Rapid weight loss, like that promised with the high-protein, low-carb diets, can cause many risk factors such as gallstones, gout, excess skin and malnutrition.

"Since there have been no long-term or controlled studies on these diets, professionals are very concerned," George said. "They suspect long-term effects from using these diets can be linked to heart disease, cancer and a depletion of calcium in bones."

The U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute guidelines warn individuals to avoid fad diets and weight loss programs that promote fast weight loss which is more than two pounds a week.

"Diets are similar to any other fad, just like jelly shoes and kangaroo shoes," said Amy Walker, a healthcare lecturer, "They are popular for a brief time until something else comes along, then individuals will look back and say, 'I can't believe I did that.'"

Even major restaurant chains such as Subway and TGI Fridays are joining the crowd by offering menus focused around low-carb meals.

"These diets are the new craze," Walker said. "So many people are trying it, and the restaurants want to make money by creating an outlet for customers pursuing this weight loss program."

Jenny Klein, a senior marketing major, said she jumped on the Atkins bandwagon after her sister raved about it.

"I hadn't planned on dieting before my sister told me about the Atkins," Klein said. "But with summer coming up I thought,'why not shed a few pounds?'"

Another recent weight-loss trend is to lose weight easily with over-the-counter pills. While in theory, the main use for weight-loss drugs is the treatment of obese individuals, the drugs are not solely being used by those with serious health risks.

"Everyone is looking for the magic bullet," George said. "However, let me tell you, it doesn't exist."

Clinical weight loss studies have shown that no sustained weight loss and long-term weight control can be achieved through using weight-loss pills alone, and upon discontinuing use, the weight is virtually always gained back. According to a report in the Journal of Obesity Research, people who used diet supplements containing ephedra only lost an extra 7.5 pounds over a six month time frame.

"Trust me," said George, "if the pills were effective I guarantee they would be coming from the major drug corporations and the insurance companies would be involved. Everyone would want a slice of the pie."

There is only one healthy way to lose the weight, Walker said.

"I promote keeping a balanced diet and staying active," she said. "You either need to lower your calorie intake or burn more calories through increased activity."

Leading experts in obesity today recommend individuals try to lose 5 to 10 percent of their body weight, while setting a realistic goal.

"Healthy weight loss is generally one to two pounds per week," said John Prochaska, Class of 2002 and a graduate assistant at Health Education, Student Health Services at A&M.

The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) said reducing 500 calories a day will result in one pound lost a week, while eating 1000 fewer calories a day will result in a loss of 2 pounds per week. This weekly weight loss totals 100 to 150 pounds a year.

"Students need to realize that weight-loss is not a quick fix," Prochaska said. "Healthy lifestyle changes, changes you can live with the rest of your life, are key."

While the low-carb diets claim to help you lose weight quickly, most people do not follow the programs through to the end, or keep those habits for life.

"Cutting out a good number of carbs may be easy at first," Prochaska said,(.) "But one must consider next year, or even five or 10 years down the road."

Walker also suggests that a person figuring out what diet will best fit their lifestyle.

"If the diet doesn't seem like it can become a lifestyle behavior,it's probably not the best one to get on," Walker said.

While Atkins, South Beach and similar low-carb diets claim to be a healthy, life-long eating style, many experts and organizations disagree. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the nutritional benefits of carbohydrates and plant-based eating. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends six to 11 servings a day from the bread group, even when trying to lose weight.

"Carbs are necessary to everyone's diet," Walker said, "Carbs are your main source of energy."

The Atkins and South Beach diets provide most of the necessary calories each day from protein foods and few from carbs.

"Many times, people are fed up with the fact they can't eat their favorite dish and give in," Prochaska said.

These diets also allow food such as bacon and cheese, which can raise cholesterol levels and increase a person's risk for heart disease and cancer. The American Heart Association urges most adults to limit fat intake to no more than 30 percent of total daily calories.

"Making long-term changes in your eating and physical activity habits is the best way to lose weight and to keep it off," Walker said.

Klein said her school work eventually interfered with her diet program.

"The diet did make me tired while I was on it, but overall I think it's a good diet. It helps you realize how bad you eat," Klein said. "I ended up quitting the diet because I had a lot of tests one week and couldn't keep up with the diet. Once I quit I went on a carb-eating binge; that's all I wanted to eat."

The American College of Sports Medicine suggests for exercise and weight control a minimum of 25-30 minutes of physical activity a day, but for best results aim at 45 minutes.

"The exercise does not have to be done all at once," said George. "Even try to just avoid the conveniences in life; park further away, or use the stairs instead of the elevator."

Klein said the Atkins diet has helped her control her portion intake. For instance, now she eats one doughnut instead of six, she said. While Klein said she has decided diet pills and other fad diets aren't the way to go for her long-term weight-loss goals, she does admit Atkins is a quick fix.

"I would definitely go back on it (Atkins) if I wanted to lose weight fast," she said.