Great Articles in Los Angeles Times

[staziaw]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...ck=1&cset=true
I love the skeptics, who brush over the fact that "we" kick everyone else's diet plan in the tushie!

Stacy

[Richt]

Re: Great Articles in Los Angeles Times

I couldnt read it as it required me to sign in. Can you copy and paste the whole article, and also include the link? To evade any copy rite issues

Rich

[cincywbbw]

Re: Great Articles in Los Angeles Times

You know, the atkins plan was paraised on my local news last night saying it was the number one most effective diet out there, beating oout south beach weight waters and all. I tried to find the link to post in here but I couldnt.
I was sittng here cheering after seeing that news clip.
It's about time they are coming around to our WOL..lol

[staziaw]

Re: Great Articles in Los Angeles Times

Thanks for the heads-up, Rich . . . here is the article in its entirety. Rock on, Atkinseers.

Stacy

Atkins diet wins for losing

Study ranks the low-carb regimen No. 1, but critics weigh in.
By Denise Gellene
Times Staff Writer

March 7, 2007

The largest and longest-running comparison of diet plans found the low-carbohydrate Atkins regimen produced greater weight loss than three other popular programs — the Zone, the Ornish and the U.S. nutritional guidelines.

The average weight reduction was small, and participants started regaining pounds by the end of the one-year study, according to the report in today's Journal of the American Medical Assn.

Still, Atkins dieters — who consume prodigious amounts of long-demonized saturated fats but shun carbs, such as pasta and breads — experienced significant drops in blood pressure and cholesterol.

The finding showed that even a small weight reduction can improve overall health, researchers said.

Atkins dieters lost an average of 10.4 pounds after one year, according to the report, compared with 5.7 pounds for those on a traditional balanced diet based on federal nutritional guidelines, 4.8 pounds for the high-carbohydrate Ornish diet and 3.5 pounds for the Zone diet, which calls for a set ratio of carbohydrate, protein and fat.

The study's results cast further doubt on the benefits of low-fat, high-carb diets, which have been touted for decades as the model of healthy eating.

"This study confirms the importance of reducing carbohydrates," said Dr. Frank Hu, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, who was not involved in the research. "Bagels, white bread, potatoes and soft drinks are the real bad guys in our diet."

The study was quickly criticized by some Atkins competitors.

Dr. Dean Ornish, president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif., said the differences among the weight loss plans detected in the study were insignificant.

He added that Atkins dieters saw an increase in levels of LDL, or "bad," cholesterol.

"The conclusions of this study are highly misleading," he said.

But Atkins backers saw the study as vindication of their approach and predicted a revival of interest in the Atkins diet, whose popularity peaked five years ago but then swiftly faded.

Atkins Nutritionals Inc., which sold packaged foods based on the diet, sought bankruptcy protection in 2005. Today, the $2-billion carb-conscious food market is dwarfed by the $14.7 billion spent on low-fat products, according to AC Nielsen.

"Those of us who have been in the low-carb community for decades are not surprised by these [study] results," said Jacqueline Eberstein, coauthor of "Atkins Diabetes Revolution" with Dr. Robert C. Atkins, who died in 2003.

The $2-million diet faceoff, funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, was conceived several years ago to sort out the cacophony of claims made by competing diet plans.

More than 300 overweight, pre-menopausal women were randomly assigned to follow one of the four diet plans, which were chosen to represent a range of low- to high-carbohydrate diets. The Zone and the traditional diet, called LEARN, included calorie-restriction goals, but the Atkins and Ornish diets did not.

When the study began, the women weighed an average of 190 pounds and had an average body mass index of more than 30, putting them in the obese range. BMI is a standard measure that takes into account a person's weight and height.

Participants attended weekly diet classes for the first eight weeks and received a book outlining their specific dietary program. The women's weight and metabolism were regularly checked, and their diets were monitored by phone.

The women prepared their own meals, and some had trouble sticking to their diet regimens, mimicking real-world conditions.

Lead author Christopher D. Gardner, a Stanford University assistant professor of medicine, said one reason the women on the Atkins diet lost the most weight was because the program was easy to follow.

"It has a very simple message: Get rid of all the junk carbohydrates," he said.

In fact, Gardner said he suspected that the bulk of the weight loss in the Atkins program came from women substituting water for soft drinks.

In addition, Gardner said, the Atkins diet's reliance on higher amounts of protein, which is more filling than carbohydrates, may have kept women from feeling too hungry.

He also noted that Atkins dieters saw sharper drops in triglycerides, a type of fat, and blood pressure, and steeper increases in HDL, or "good," cholesterol than women on the other diets, according to the study.

The improvements could have important public health implications, Gardner said.

"The good news is that a small amount of weight loss is very powerful," he said.

The results show the Atkins diet is a reasonable choice for short-term weight loss, said Gardner, a vegetarian.

Hu cautioned against using the study as an excuse to indulge in sausage and bacon at every meal. A lifetime of eating large amounts of foods rich in saturated fat could increase the chance of heart disease, he said. More healthful fats can be found in peanut butter, legumes and vegetable oil.

Mara Vitolins, professor of public health sciences at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., who was not involved in the study, noted another drawback: The Atkins diet is relatively low in fruits and vegetables, which contain nutrients that are believed to have a protective effect against heart disease and cancer.

Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, who also was not involved in the study, said the findings should be interpreted cautiously.

Women on the Atkins diet experienced most of their weight loss during the first six months, raising the possibility that weight loss on all four diet plans would look the same in a longer study, she said.

"My guess is that if they carried this study out for another six months, they would converge," Nestle said.

Dr. Kelly Brownell, director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders and creator of the LEARN diet, which includes exercise and behavior modification, said the real message of the study was that better approaches were needed to address obesity.

"What the study shows is that the best treatments we have are not very effective and all work about the same," he said. "Overall, this shows for the umpteenth time how hard it is to treat obesity and the best cure is preventing the problem."


denise.gellene@latimes.com

*

Comparing diets

A study of popular diets found the low-carbohydrateAtkins plan led to greater weight loss.

Results in 12-month period (averages)*

AtkinsZoneLEARNOrnish(lo-carb) (carb/prtn/fat)(traditnl)(hi-carb)Weight loss(pounds)10.43.55.74.8Body fat(% loss)2.91.31.01.5HDL cholesterol**(mgms/deciliter) +4.9+2.2+2.80LDL cholesterol**(mgms/deciliter)+0.80+0.6–3.8*For women weighing an average of 190 pounds. **HDL, high-densitylipoprotein ("good" cholesterol); LDL, low-density lipoprotein ("bad"cholesterol)Source: Journal of the American Medical Assn.Los Angeles Times

[theredhead]

Re: Great Articles in Los Angeles Times

Mara Vitolins, professor of public health sciences at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., who was not involved in the study, noted another drawback: The Atkins diet is relatively low in fruits and vegetables, which contain nutrients that are believed to have a protective effect against heart disease and cancer.

It makes me crazy when people say things like this. I know I eat a ton more veggies than I ever did when I lived on junk carbs. Granted, I only eat strawberries occasionally, but I know that my veggies and meats have all the nutrients I need to be healthy. But I'm glad we've finally gotten some good press.

[ValidRouge]

Re: Great Articles in Los Angeles Times

redhead--I agree! I've had 4 cups, that's 8 servings today just between breakfast and lunch. I'll have more with dinner. That's more than the recommended amount by the FDA. It's so frustrating.

Dr. Dean Ornish, president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif., said the differences among the weight loss plans detected in the study were insignificant.

He added that Atkins dieters saw an increase in levels of LDL, or "bad," cholesterol.

"The conclusions of this study are highly misleading," he said.

He [Lead author Christopher D. Gardner, a Stanford University assistant professor of medicine] also noted that Atkins dieters saw sharper drops in triglycerides, a type of fat, and blood pressure, and steeper increases in HDL, or "good," cholesterol than women on the other diets, according to the study.

According to MY doctor, the ratio of LDL to HDL is what is important. If we have an increase of say 1 in LDL and a "steep" increase of say 3 in HDL then that is a SIGNIFICANT improvement in overall cholesterol. Yet it seems that Dr. Ornish forgot to mention that and instead just focus on the increase of LDL.

[Lose2Cruise]

Re: Great Articles in Los Angeles Times

They reported this story on Good Morning America today. Even while reporting that the Atkins dieters improved their cholesterol numbers, and were in better health, the "expert" commentator said "We still don't think people should be eating such unhealthy foods" or words to that effect.

Do they even listen to themselves? If the diet makes you healthier, how is it still unhealthy??

[sillygirl]

Re: Great Articles in Los Angeles Times

Staz, I just now sat down to read the paper and that article was the first one I read, of course! If only the masses would read it too and stop hounding us because of the way we choose to eat!

[staziaw]

Re: Great Articles in Los Angeles Times

Exactly, Silly, exactly!

[grovemonkey]

Re: Great Articles in Los Angeles Times

The funny thing is that Ornish goes off on another website trying to discredit the article and pointing out all the problems with the study. It's a shame because both are valid ways to loose weight, I don't even know why he would bother. The proof is in the pudding. People on the Atkins lose weight, people on all the plans loose weight, while some loose more and some loose less. In the end, any press that says the atkins is good scares big business and scares a lot of doctors. I'm not any conspircy theorist or anything like that, but there is a lot of incentive to keep us woofing down the bad carbs and getting sick.

[Lyssie]

Re: Great Articles in Los Angeles Times

I posted this link from MSN... it was one of the top news stories for the diet section a few days ago...

[segamartinez]

Re: Great Articles in Los Angeles Times

I read this study a while back and had comments that I posted on another forum about the study. I'll paste them here:

I've read this study, and I've read many ones similar to it in design, scope, and conclusions. Thought I'd give a little more information on the article and some comments of my own.

METHODS/DIETARY GUIDELINES

ATKINS

The Atkins group aimed for 20 g/d or less of carbohydrate for induction (usually 2-3 months) and 50 g/d or less of carbohydrate for the subsequent Ongoing Weight Loss Phase.

No specific energy restriction goals.

============-============

ZONE

The Zone group's primary emphasis was a 40%-30%-30% distribution of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, respectively.

Incorporates specific energy restriction goals.

============-============

LEARN

The LEARN group was instructed to follow a prudent diet that included 55% to 60% energy from carbohydrate and less than 10% energy from saturated fat, calorie restriction, increased exercise, and behavior modification strategies.

Incorporates specific energy restriction goals.

============-============

ORNISH

The primary emphasis for the Ornish group was no more than 10% of energy from fat. Additional recommendations given for physical activity, nutritional supplements, and behavioral strategies were consistent with those presented in each diet book.

No specific energy restriction goals.

============-============

RESULTS

Retention at 12 months was 88%, 77%, 76%, and 78% for the Atkins, Zone, LEARN, and Ornish groups, respectively.

============-============

ATKINS GROUP

DIETARY INTAKE

Carbohydrate (% energy)

45.6% - Baseline (1888 )
17.7% - 02 months (1381)
29.5% - 06 months (1538 )
34.5% - 12 months (1599)

Fat (% energy)

36.2% - Baseline
54.7% - 02 months
47.0% - 06 months
44.3% - 12 months

============-============

ORNISH GROUP

Carbohydrate (% energy)

47.9% - Baseline
63.1% - 02 months
53.4% - 06 months
52.4% - 12 months

Fat (% energy)

35.1% - Baseline (1850)
21.1% - 02 months (1408 )
28.3% - 06 months (1553)
29.8% - 12 months (1505)

============-============

Changes in Secondary Outcomes

ATKINS

Body fat, %

-2.1% - 02 mo
-3.6% - 06 mo
-2.9 - 12 mo

LDL-C, mg/dl

2.3 - 02 mo
1.7 - 06 mo
0.8 - 12 mo

HDL-C, mg/dl

-0.4 - 02 mo
5.1 - 06 mo
4.9 - 12 mo

Triglycerides, mg/dl

-52.3 - 02 mo
-35.6 - 06 mo
-29.3 - 12 mo

Systolic bp, mm Hg

-6.8 - 02 mo
-6.4 - 06 mo
-7.6 - 12 mo

Diastolic bp, mm Hg

-2.9 - 02 mo
-3.3 - 06 mo
-4.4 - 12 mo

============-============

ORNISH

Body fat, %
-1.2% - 02 mo
-1.4% - 06 mo
-1.5 - 12 mo

LDL-C, mg/dl

-10.1 - 02 mo
-3.2 - 06 mo
-3.8 - 12 mo

HDL-C, mg/dl

-5.3 - 02 mo
0.0 - 06 mo
0.0 - 12 mo

Triglycerides, mg/dl

10.9 - 02 mo
-7.6 - 06 mo
-14.9 - 12 mo

Systolic bp, mm Hg

-1.6 - 02 mo
-1.7 - 06 mo
-1.9 - 12 mo

Diastolic bp, mm Hg

-0.4 - 02 mo
-1.0 - 06 mo
-0.7 - 12 mo

============-============

A few things stand out to me. The first issue is that neither of these groups were technically following their respective diets, and as time progressed, they strayed further from the guidelines.

After the first two months, the Atkins group was averaging 17.7% energy from carbohydrates. That means they were averaging 61 g/d of carbohydrates. Albeit, it's close to the required 50 g/d or less. By the end of 12 months, the average consumption increased to 138 g/d of carbohydrate. You can call them the "Atkins" group, but they're not really on the Atkins diet at this point.

For the Ornish group, at two months, 21.1% of total energy expenditure was coming from fat. By the end of 12 months, 29.8% was coming from fat. Again, these people were on the Ornish diet, however to really qualify, they should've been getting no more than 10% of their calories from fat.

The secondary outcomes don't really surprise me, but I'm a low-carb guy in terms of knowing what's sound from a biochemistry standpoint and the numbers seem to fall in line with what a decrease in carbohydrates will do to your triglyceride (lower it), HDL-C (raise it), and LDL-C (have little effect, but then there's the issue of particles size) serum levels.

What you can almost take out of the running title for the study (ONE-YEAR EFFECT OF WEIGHT-LOSS DIETS) is nothing new: diet's are difficult to adhere to in the long-term.

And what always gets me is how study after study will show the beneficial effects of a low-carb diet like Atkins and then immediately give the disclaimer that more data is needed to look at the efficacy and safety of a long-term diet. I don't necessarily disagree with this statement, but it's funny that they don't say the same thing about a low-fat diet.

I wish we could get humans to adhere to these guidelines to the numbers for an extended period of time to really get a better look at the data and what really tends to happen when people stick with either lifestyle (Atkins/Ornish tend to be the extremes, although with Atkins you reintroduce carbohydrates during the maintenance phase where the diet isn't as restrictive of carbohydrates...although I'm not positive whether you're ever supposed to cross the 10% threshold when implementing an "Ornish" lifestyle).