The Atkins Diet Plan

The Atkins Diet company formed by Dr. Robert C. Atkins in 1989. Atkins Nutritionals, went bankrupt in the year 2005, but the Atkins Diet franchise is still in business selling Atkins Diet brand food products. Dr. Atlins himself, died in an unfortunate accident in 2003, when he slipped on ice while walking and struck his head. Ironically, the long term results of his health from using his diet plan was never put to the test.

There were many rumours that Dr. Atkins was massively overweight at the time of his death. Many of these have been blown out of proportion. First of all, yes, he was overweight when he died, but the weight gain was caused by a massive amount of steroids that had been administered to him by doctors while he was in the hospital after his fall, not from his diet plan. He was actually very physically fit at the time of his accident, especially for a man in his 70's.

New diets and weight loss fads come and go quickly, especially with the invention of the internet and it seems that many people are now obsessed with losing weight. The diet that has remained popular for the longest time with the public is now the Atkins Diet plan. It's not as popular as it once was, but there are still people that swear by it. There are also an equal amount of critics, but there's no denying the impact that it had on the weight loss industry.

The low carb, high protein diet was created by Dr. Atkins from a medical journal he read back in the 1960s. He first used the diet plan himself and almost immediately began to lose weight. He then encouraged thousands of his patients to try the diet too. The next logical step was to make it known to the entire world, which he did in his book, "Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution", released in 1972. A revised edition followed later with his "New Diet Revolution." After the release of the books, the Atkins Diet became a household name practically overnight.

Dr. Atkins' theory was based on the fact that obesity is mostly caused by eating too much refined carbs, things like flour, sugar and products high in fructose syrup. He stated that although other diets focused on the intake of saturated fats, the problem lies with trans fats alone.

The Atkins Diet is a strict plan, which measures precise levels of carbohydrates that increase in stages as the diet progresses. The sale of rice and pasta tailed off as a result of his plan. Dr. Atkins' believed that eating unprocessed, whole foods is the healthiest option and the best way to lose weight. Some people now also refer to this as the "Caveman" diet because of avoiding things that come in wrappers, bags and boxes.

Some nutritionists argue his claims, stating that although the diet is very successful in short term weight loss, it doesn't show the same long term results. Several doctors go even further with their criticism, stating that diets with high protein and low carbohydrates can make people more prone to heart disease. Other critics point out that the diet is flawed when you take into account the dietary habits of Asian people. They eat a lot of carbs such as rice and noodles and they've never had much of an obesity problem, until their society became more "Americanized." Others complain that the diet plan is unnecessarily costly and has side effects that are unpleasant, such as cramps, bad breath, lethargy and diarrhea.