Debate over low carbohydrate diet.
An epidemic of obesity is affecting not just America, but the entire globe. (*) About 1.7 billion people suffer from obesity. The condition causes diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and cancer. Annually, the condition causes more than 2.5 million deaths, including over 300,000 in each of the United States and Europe.
Michael Fumento (†) (‡) and Gary Taubes (§) have a sharp disagreement over low carbohydrate diets, said to help in achieving weight loss, in Reason. This is the diet pioneered by Robert Atkins, who died this week of injuries related to a fall on ice. (**)
Without knowing anything about nutritional science, to me the argument that is most compelling is that obesity is caused not just by an imbalance of certain kinds of food—for example, too many carbohydrates and too few proteins—but is caused primarily by the consumption of too many calories of any kind. Simply put, people are eating too much.
The stakes of the debate are indeed higher than just the proper treatment of obesity. Atkins’s research runs counter to the standard food pyramid promoted by the US government, which suggests a high carbohydrate diet. (††) This is not just a scientific argument; it is a deeply cultural issue.
Update: 26 November 2004. The CDC no longer stands by the figure of “400,000″ deaths per year in the US. That was statistically inflated, they say. (‡) New data will be submitted to JAMA.
After this update, I plan to refrain from covering any news about this statistic on this web site.
April 19th, 2003 at 19:21
I’m hypoglycemic and allergic to wheat, hence I have to have a low carbohydrate diet. In my experience, it makes it way easier to keep weight off, and I feel more energetic. Whole classes of fatty, junky snack foods and fast food are off limits to me.
My boyfriend recently had to go on a no-wheat diet for health reasons, and he lost 15 pounds in a month and a half. This, even though he was wiped out and wasn’t getting much activity. And a friend of mine, female, started a low carb diet a couple years ago and has never gone back. She’s about 40 pounds lighter, and she eats pretty healthy.
Truth be told, many forms of carbs, white bread, pasta, white potatoes, white rice, aren’t much different to your body than eating table sugar by the spoonful. It unbalances insulin levels, leading to a rash of hypoglycemia and adult onset diabetes. Insulin, btw, is what regulates not only blood sugar, but fat storage.
When carbs are taken from whole grains, like brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat (not related to wheat), and whole fruits and vegetables, the body gets better nutrition. Food is more satisfying. And if you then add olive oil and moderate amounts of cheese and nuts to round out your fat intake, your total calorie intake will still probably be less than what it would be with bread and pasta added in.
Combined with plenty of water, and lean protein, this type of diet has worked well for me and those others I’ve known who’ve used it. And as a hint on how to do it without going insane, Asian style food is particularly well suited to this type of diet. Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and probably others, have many different types of dishes that work well without loads of high glycemic carbs. You can always have less rice, or brown rice, and get the same effect in dishes that use it. And sandwiches are right out, but you’d be amazed what you can do with brown rice crackers.
April 20th, 2003 at 23:25
Aside from certian medical condidtions, the equation is: if you consume more calories then you burn off, you will gain weight.
Where is this reasoning incorrect?
April 25th, 2003 at 06:46
I’m with Natasha: I believe in a modified Mediterreanean diet: olive oil, fish, vegetables, whole grains. Not low fat, but eschewing all the processed junk most Americans poison themselves with these days.
Some great resources that line up with her comments (the Harvard food pyramid, Dr. Andrew Weil) can be found in the sidebar to my blog.
July 4th, 2003 at 20:59
I have been told by my doctor to go
on this diet (Mediterreanean ) for several health reasons. I cannot pinpoint exactly what the dies consists of except to know it uses beans, legumes and olive oil. Where can I find a definite diet plan? Thanks for your information!