weight loss news
How Much Weight Do People Really Lose On An Atkins Diet?
Mpls., MN June 11, 2003: How much weight do people really lose on an Atkins
diet? The Thursday May 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine contained
two studies demonstrating weight loss on an Atkins-like, very low-carbohydrate,
high-protein diet. In the first study, 132 men and women started out weighing an
average of 286 pounds (this corresponds to a BMI of 43). After six months, those
on the Atkins-like diet had lost an average of 12.8 pounds, those on the
low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet lost an average of 4.2 pounds.
The second study involved 63 participants who weighed an average of 217
pounds (this corresponds to a BMI of 34) at the start. After six months, the
Atkins group lost 15.4 pounds, the group on the standard high-carbohydrate diet
lost an average of 7 pounds. But at the end of a year, the Atkins dieters had
regained about a third of their lost weight. Their net loss averaged 9.7 pounds.
The low-fat, high-carbohydrate dieters had regained about one-fifth of the
weight, for a net loss of 5.5 pounds. According to Dr. Foster, the chief
researcher, the year-end difference was not big enough to tell whether it was
caused by the diets. About 40 percent of the patients dropped out of each study,
and while supporters of the Atkins diet say it is easier to stick with, people
on the Atkins regimen were just as likely to drop out as people on the standard
diets.
The important finding, Foster said, is that the Atkins diet appears to be an
effective short-term way to lose weight. But he cautioned, nobody has studied it
long enough to tell whether it is a healthy way to maintain that loss. Only 120
people have been studied so far, and no long-term studies on the effects of an
Atkins-like diet on heart or kidney health have been completed. In addition,
there is documented increased risk for a host of medical problems such as
cancer, diverticulitis, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis with diets that
restrict intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy products
long-term.
"There's never been
any denying that low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets such as Atkins do,
absolutely, cause weight loss. But do they hold up over time and can you
stay on them over time? From Foster's study, it does not look like it."
Kathleen Zelman, a spokeswoman
for the American Dietetic Association
Our Response
Many have asked how people following the OPTIFAST® diet fare
compared with those following the Atkins diet. Data from over 20,000 individuals
reveals the typical OPTIFAST program participant has a BMI of 39 at entry and
losses an average of 52 pounds over 6 months of treatment. In
addition, highly significant improvements in blood sugar level, blood pressure
and blood cholesterol level have been repeatedly documented with OPTIFAST.
People also tend to stick with OPTIFAST, with program drop out rates at about
20%, or roughly half that found in the above studies.
Follow-up studies on long-term weight loss conducted on over 600 individuals
5 years after OPTIFAST treatment show the majority of individuals who complete
an OPTIFAST program are able to keep off enough weight to improve their health
long-term. If you've lost weight in the past but have never been able to keep it
off isn't it time you experienced the OPTIFAST difference?
Click here to determine if OPTIFAST is Right for You.
Click here to Find an OPTIFAST Clinic near you.