Rating: 
Summary: As misleading now as 30 years ago.
Review: In areas where people have no problems with insulin or obesity, such as Japan and Melanesia, 80% of calories come from carbohydrate. In America, only 45% of calories come from carbohydrate. All three areas have an abundance of food (e.g. Kitava in Melanesia, as well as many areas of China, Okinawa, etc.) But it's people in America -- and conspicuously not in the other countries -- that have problems with insulin and problems with obesity. When people in the non-American countries move to other areas and/ or eat a more Westernized diet (fewer calories as carbs, higher caloric density), they get fat and have problems with insulin just like us. Notwithstanding Atkins or his equivocating, carbohydrate per se cannote therefore be "the problem".As for fat, no nutrition researcher who has published in any credible journal is so simple-minded as to claim that fat is the one and only problem. The objection to Atkins stems from the fact that it's equally obvious that carbs are not the one and only cause either. Oatmeal has only 0.6 calories per gram; you can't eat enough to maintain your weight, how is it fattening? A food's calories per gram (energy density) may be a useful dietetical marker -- not the grams of carbs. Of course, weight problems result from a combination of things, including lack of exercise, the wrong TYPE of carbs (Coca-Cola, white bread rolls, and fat carbs like donuts that are really 60% of calories from fat.) Genetics and culture also factor in. As for Americans "eating a low fat diet but fatter than ever before" consider this: Americans haven't eaten a low fat diet for decades. Americans are eating a higher fat diet than anywhere else in the world, except possibly Scotland, which has one of the most severe obesity epidemics anywhere. Americans eating a low fat diet??? Have you seen the line at Burger King or KFC? It's nonsense; buy another book. (Try Barbara Rolls or Roy Walford.)
Rating: 
Summary: It really works
Review: I do recommed this book it does work, in the year 2002 around Feburary I started the diet I lost 30 pounds in 5 months. It was hard but I stuck to it I went from 210 pounds to 180.
Rating:
Summary: The Bottom Line is this Diet Gets Results
Review: I loved this book and have recommended it to a number of friends and family. In every case, the person(s) has lost significant amounts of weight. First off, no diet is perfect, you will find that nearly every diet is deficient in some area. However, with suppliments and moderation, this diet can change your life. The first time I did the diet I lost a whopping 30lbs in one month! The nice side effects were my cholerstol dropped to a 3.2 and my allergies disappeared! Unfortunately, during the diet, I was posted to Bosnia for a tour and ended up having to eat a Carbohydrate laiden diet again. However, after I left the diet it took 2 years for me to put weight back on. I have since started back on the diet, because now I am home and can select my food and I swear by it. The most difficult thing I found was giving up the refined carbohydrates, as I went through withdrawal, but that only lasted about a week and then I was disgusted by them! I found the book to be well laid out, and the great thing, was the way it was written... it made sense! I believe critics and supporters alike, can say what they want, but the bottom line, is does the diet take off weight? You bet it does!! If you go on the maintenance diet, which is not difficult, you can keep the weight off. Remember the reason people yo-yo diet, is because they go on the diet, and after they reach their goal, go back to their old way of eating! Or they go on a diet and they cannot stick to it, because it is too restrictive. What I like about this diet it is is not quantitative based but quality based. The other aspect to weight loss, is exercise, but not everyone likes to exercise, just like everyone does not like to read. So my take is go on the diet that works for you! If you dont like the diet, try something else, but dont listen to others, listen to youself! If you have tried other diets and failed, try this one. I am not saying it will be right for you, but what do you have to lose, except fat! Cheers, Karl
Rating:
Summary: I'll loan you mine!
Review: Well, first of all, I am here to buy Dr. Atkins new book for myself, plus one of his books for my sister-in-law and her son, and an audio CD of his book for my father-in-law. I have one of the older editions of his "New Diet Revolution" that I picked up to read on a plane flight. I tried his method for a week and lost 5lbs. Now, I already know how to exercise, eat right, and drink my water...or so I thought. It sounds quite easy from a mathematical standpoint as mentioned before, but there are too many addictive issues to deal with for someone to make weight loss work by the math. That's one of the frustrations--"Why can't I lose the weight if I'm doing everything 'right'?"
Atkins has the answer. The books I'm buying are for loved ones who have watched me lose the weight and have tried a 'doctor-approved' diet that is similar, but too restrictive for them to remain on for long. They need to understand WHY they can't stay on those diets. Again, Atkins has the answer.
The best thing that can happen is that they will read and learn, then conquer their addiction. The worst thing is that they'll scoff at it and end up like the 65% of overweight Americans.
BTW, the reason Asians aren't overweight when they eat rice is because they don't eat sugar!
They're great books; buy them, or I'll loan you mine!
Rating: 
Summary: Depends on You
Review: Like most diet books and programs, this one can be very effective for some, somewhat effective for many, and useless for others. People keep looking for THE ANSWER for weight loss because they do not like the real answers that have already been found. Reduced calories, eating healthy, and regular exercise WILL cause weight loss and body-toning. Any system that makes that happen for you is a good system for you. But, it's the changes in behavior that work, not the system. This one is as good as any, if followed, and as useless as any, if not followed. This is a nicely packaged program; if you use it, it will work. If you don't make the lasting changes, this becomes a good doorstop or paperweight.
Rating:
Summary: Atkins program works, book explains and justifies approach
Review: Not only am I losing weight, the Atkins program is a healthful way of eating I can live with forever. (Only the first two weeks are highly restrictive.) Most impressive is that he ENCOURAGES people to track their health stats - blood pressure, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), glucose levels - to judge for themselves whether the program is healthful as well as effective in weight loss. My experience is exactly what the book predicts, increasing my confidence in the program. After decades of trying to make low fat approaches work, this is terrific! Contrary to critics' claims, Atkins provides credible explanations for why it works. The past 40 years of conventional dietary recommendations have been a disaster for MOST of the US public. Read this with an open mind and try something different. You'll likely find it works for you, too. (For the record, I have no connection to Atkins, other than buying his book and trying his program.)
Rating:
Summary: I know this sounds like a paid endorsement but ...
Review: it's not - I can't believe I'm actually writing this. Please, if you have a weight problem give this book a serious look. I'm 31 yrs old 5'11" (female) and (was)253 lbs. I suffered from acid reflux, painful feet, I was tired all the time, & had elevated blood pressure (I was probably on my way to becoming diabetic but was too afraid to get the blood tests done because I dreaded the results). And yes I tried the low-fat approach to eating but continued to gain instead of losing weight and felt more tired than ever. Since starting 1/12/03 I have lost 20 lbs (I now have the energy to work out 30 minutes a day - before I would get home from work eat dinner and collapse on the couch). I went to the Dr. last week for a cold and my blood pressure has already dropped to where it used to be in my late teens and early 20's (110/75). By the way, the tiredness, acid reflux and painful feet have all disappeared too! It's not just the weight loss that is so wonderful but I feel better than I have in 10 yrs! I can't believe one reviewer denounced the book for recommending vitamin supplements. Based on the typical American diet EVERYONE would benefit from taking supplements, our soil is so depleted of minerals and our food so over-processed that very few foods still provide us with any nutrients at all. I'm sure that there would be some people whom this diet would not work for, but I would ask them if they REALLY read the whole book, understood it, and followed it properly. Sure it didn't work for the guy who ate a pound of bacon a day, or the person who thought they didn't NEED to drink 64 ounces of water a day (which you should be doing anyway). For those who say this book is dangerous for whatever reason there is a whole chapter in the book devoted to refuting these ridiculous claims. I found the book informative, easy to read, and the diet easy to follow. It's all true - no cravings, energy boosted, and the pounds melt off - I look forward to getting on the scale now. Be warned though this is a lifestyle change. It amazes me how many people say that "sure I lost a lot of weight but then I went off the diet and it came right back". Well, no kidding? You go back to eating the ... that made you gain weight in the first place and you'll put weight back on, that's a "no-brainer" but this diet is easy enough to follow and work into everyday life. Can you (do you really want to?) drink shakes for breakfast and lunch for the rest of your life to lose weight, eat prepackaged meals, or even starve yourself or do you want to eat REAL healthy foods, that keep you satisfied? Do you want to be in control of your life and your weight again? Give the methods in this book an honest try and I doubt you'll be disappointed. When I hit my goal weight I'm going to write Dr. Atkins a "thank you" for giving me my life back.
Rating:
Summary: The Atkin's Illusion
Review: You lose weight by eating less and exercising more. No mystery about it. Dr. Atkin's book like any other other fad diet (Diet in a bottle, etc.) just buts a twist on it for marketing purposes. Reality isn't sexy and it doesn't sell books in America. Dr. Atkin's book preys on the weak and desparate. The calorie deficiency fact to losing weight is at the core of any diet. It is the only way you lose weight. Period. That is how your body works. If you burn 3,500 calories more than you consume, you lose 1 lb. of fat. That's the harsh reality of it. If you want to lose 2 lbs. a week, then you need to create a calorie deficit of 7,000 calories a week. You can do that by reducing your daily calorie intake by 500 calories and exercising to burn off the other 500 calories resulting in a daily calorie deficit of 1000 calories. This equates to a weekly calorie deficit of 7,000 calories and a loss of 2 lbs. of mostly pure fat in a week. It's really that simple. Dr. Atkins does not want to just tell you that because he wouldn't sell you any books if it seemed that easy. But, in all reality, that IS the reason people lose weight at first on his diet. He would probably tell you that if you asked him because any physician knows that calories is what causes fat and nothing else. If his diet is right and carbohydrates is what causes us to be fat then why is it that Asians are not nearly as overweight as Americans while their staple diet is rice? Why is it that they are in better health generally and do not have nearly the same amount of problems with heart disease? And, how will all that extra saturated fat that the average American on the Atkin's diet consumes affect their chance for heart disease? How can you discount the fact that saturated fat and cholesterol clogs your arteries. Dr. Atkins is profiting at the expense of people's health and that is sickening. Sure, you will lose that weight at first - lot's of it. But more often than not it will end up coming back and usually you will be as fatter as ever when you return to eating normally. I've seen it happen with many people. Really, how long can most Americans go without having a piece of cake, pie, fruit, etc? Ridiculous. You want to lose weight? Eat less and exercise more. That has been the only sure proof way to do it for centuries. Sure, it takes willpower as with anything. But nothing is easy. And, at least by moving to a healthy lifestyle will make you feel better than by punishing your health and happiness by buying into the Atkin's diet. You'll be in worse health than ever while Dr. Atkin's cruises around in his yacht eating pasta and cake.
Rating:
Summary: Criminally easy way to eat!
Review: However, the one star is for the way the book is written! It's very unprofessionally put together. That said, I've lost over 50 pounds and plan to stay that way (and continue to lose a bit more) forever, because my eating lifestyle is now one that I can live with. Cutting out refined carbohydrates is easy.... I don't buy into all that "low carb bread" garbage. I don't crave replacements for stuff I used to like, that I now look on with disgust. And best of all, I am not biting my nails, counting the minutes and seconds to the next meal!! I am completely satisfied.
Rating: 
Summary: You must follow Dr. Atkins' guidelines...
Review: I tried the diet a few years ago and lost 18 pounds in three weeks. I was very happy with it but went off the diet after those three weeks because I did not follow the guidelines, which suggest doing the first phase for two weeks only. I think some of the problems people have been experiencing stem from that, too. It is too easy to lose a lot of weight at first and then just think that if two weeks of the induction is good, then three will be better. I am now going to go back to this diet because it is the only thing that has ever worked for me. The book is very easy to read and understand, and I think that if followed carefully, the diet can be very sucessful. I just think it is important to note that you have to follow the entire diet and book, not just parts of it.
|
