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14 August, 2003
The high-protein, high-fat diet followed by
stars including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jennifer Aniston, Geri
Halliwell and Renee Zellweger was a giant experiment that could
have disastrous effects for millions, they said.
The diet puts extra stress on the kidneys, which can lead to
kidney stones and more serious damage – particularly
for those with pre-existing problems of which they might be
unaware. There is also a fear of bone problems because the
diet encourages the excretion of calcium.
Dr Susan Jebb, of the British Medical Research Council, said
it would be "negligent" to recommend the diet for
long-term use and called for urgent research into its safety.
She dismissed the theory behind the diet, that it changes the
body's chemistry to burn off fat, as "pseudo-science".
"It is nutritionally incomplete. It works in the short
term, but so does any diet that reduces the amount of calories
eaten," she
said.
"The diet is a massive health risk, it's medically
unsound. We have no idea what will happen in the long term
because no
one is evaluating the results of the experiment."
Australian nutrition expert Catherine Saxelby was equally concerned:
"People with compromised kidneys should not go on
the Atkins Diet because of the huge workload they have to do
to get rid
of the excess nitrogen from the protein," she said.
"It's unwise for anyone with high cholesterol or type-2
diabetes, who are also at risk of heart disease because of
the high intake
of saturated fat.
"We have new research from CSIRO that a higher intake
of protein is helpful for dieters, but you don't have to go
to the level
of Atkins.
"Similarly, you don't have to cut out all carbohydrates
to lose weight."
Ms Saxelby said it would be helpful for dieters to cut out
carbohydrates such as potatoes and white rice, which have a
high glycaemic index and are rapidly absorbed by the body.
Dr Jebb, head of nutrition and health research at the British
government-funded MRC's Human Nutrition Research Centre in
Cambridge, was speaking at a summit in London to warn of the
dangers crash dieting posed to a nation's health.
Dr Jebb said the Atkins Diet was the least healthy of a number
of trendy diets followed by people desperate to lose kilos
in a hurry.
"Fad diets prey on the overweight, offering quick
fixes and psychological tricks. I see no medical benefit and
in particular
the Atkins Diet," she said.
The warning is the latest on "gimmicky" diets endorsed
by celebrities.
Invented 30 years ago by American Dr Robert Atkins, the diet
tells followers to eat large amounts of meat, but severely
restrict carbohydrates. The theory is that carbohydrates increase
the body's production of insulin, which encourages cells to
store fat.
© Herald
and Weekly Times
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