Hey, guys! Pleased to meet you.

In 2009 I spent 80 hours reviewing the scientific literature supporting the reigning medical establishment's position that dietary fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol are detrimental to cardiovascular health.

I found the evidence weak or nonexistent.

This was the key to opening up the low-carb world to me.

Sure, I had seen plenty of people, including some of my patients, lose lots of weight and keep it off eating low-carb. But I always worried about low-carb diets promoting hardening of the arteries, which could lead to premature heart attacks and strokes, even death.

I don't worry about that anymore.

I believe there are several types of underlying physiology that lead to overweight and obesity. So the best therapeutic approach to overweight varies from person to person. For example, some do best with a balanced but calorie-restricted diet, others do better with pure carbohydrate restriction. "One size fits all" doesn't apply.

My particular interests at this point are:

-----how to overcome the high drop-out rate seen with low-carb eating
-----low-carb recipes
-----application of low-carb eating to people with type 2 diabetes, overweight or not

Starting September 1, 2009, I've been eating very low-carb - 20 to 30 grams a day - and lost 15 pounds (6.8 kg). Granted, I didn't have much to lose in the first place. I'm in the midst of figuring out whether to add back some fruits, vegetables, legumes, or whole grains - and how much.

"Thank you" to the owners and administrators of this website and forum. I'm sure I'll gain valuable knowledge here that I would not be able to access otherwise.

-Steve Parker, M.D.