Letter to the Editor

Your View 11/25: Diet is dangerous

Monday, November 25, 2002

It is time for a reality check on the Atkins Diet. Despite occasional individual reports of quick weight loss, controlled studies show that the Atkins approach works at about the same speed as any other weight-loss diet: about one pound of lost weight per week. That is the same rate seen with old-fashioned low-calorie diets or with far-healthier low-fat, vegan diets.

It is crucial, however, to understand the danger of this meat-heavy diet. The huge load of animal protein leaches calcium from the bones and sends it through the kidneys, into the urine. A recent report in the "American Journal of Kidney Diseases" showed that people on the Atkins Diet lose calcium at rates 55 percent above normal. Over the long run, that can spell osteoporosis.

Even worse, Harvard researchers showed that this sort of meaty dietary pattern is linked to a three-fold increased risk of colon cancer. And each meaty meal causes the arteries to lose their normal compliance, increasing the risk of heart attack immediately after the meal.

While the Atkins Diet is based on carbophopia, the truth is that the skinniest people on the planet - Asians and vegetarians - eat plenty of rice and other carbs. What makes Americans fat is not their occasional servings of rice or potatoes, but rather their penchant for cheese, meat and fried foods. Skip those culprits and boost the vegetables and fruits and you'll lose weight in a healthy way.

Neal Barnard M.D., president Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Washington, D.C.