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Old Thu, Jan-29-04, 11:59
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gotbeer gotbeer is offline
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Default "Atkins dieters weigh pros, cons of trend"

Atkins dieters weigh pros, cons of trend

By Meghan Gambling, Staff Writer, January 29, 2004


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When 22-year-old Jessica Parico gets up in the morning, her typical breakfast includes an omelet layered thick with cheese, ham and salami. And she is losing weight.

Parico's high-fat, high-protein meal is the premise of the Atkins diet, which has gained popularity over the past few years and now is practiced by an estimated 25 million Americans, according to the Atkins Nutritionals Web site.

Not only has she lost weight since she began the diet, but Parico also has flexed her Atkins muscle while serving as the Carolina Dining Services' marketing program manager.

Little has been done to bring Top of Lenoir up to speed with the low-carbohydrate craze, but Mainstreet Lenior has seen some changes.

In addition to Subway's new thinly-sliced tortilla wraps that contain only eight grams of carbohydrates, the Ram Cafe has served items including carb-free cheesecake and grilled salmon caesar salad, Parico said.

As more and more Americans embrace the diet, many restaurants and food chains have jumped on the Atkins bandwagon.

Dan O'Malley, manager of Ruby Tuesday in Northgate Mall in Durham, said the restaurant chain was the first to come up with a low carbohydrate menu. "We wanted to set trends," he said.

But at Spanky's on Franklin Street, co-manager Kenny Carlson said that despite the influx of Atkins dieters, the restaurant has done little to change its menu.

"The beer is where it throws up a flag," said Carlson, who also serves as a bartender. "Michelob Ultra is what's really taken off. It says, 'Hey, I'm an Atkins diet person.'"

Despite the regimen's overwhelming popularity, many health care professionals warn against the strict limitations of the Atkins diet.

Jenny Favret, a licensed and registered dietician at UNC's Center for Healthy Student Behaviors, said the diet does manage to accelerate weight loss, but the bulk of what's lost is often water weight, which is easily regained.

During the past three to four years, she has seen an increase in student requests for low-carb diet programs. Favret attempts to cater to interested students by suggesting a variation of the Atkins program.

"I do feel there are people grossly over-consuming carbohydrates," Favret said. "If someone is on the diet, I will help them make healthier choices, sans bacon and fatty foods -- include leaner sources of protein and encourage vegetable consumption."

Despite Favret's reservations, many students have jumped on the Atkins diet bandwagon, with mixed results.

Junior Bryan Cohen has tried the diet three times since he was 18. As a drama major and an ex- wrestler, Cohen always has been concerned with his weight.

"The first time, I kept the weight off because of wrestling, but the second and third time I gained it all back. It also had the potential to make me weaker. It's really restrictive," Cohen said, adding that he never stayed on the diet for more than a month.

Medical professionals belonging to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine have launched a national campaign against the Atkins diet.

"We have a registry of 500 people who have submitted health problems associated with Atkins. People like the diet because it sounds too good to be true," said Jen Keller, a registered staff dietitian for the PCRM. "And it is too good to be true."

One concern is the body state known as ketosis, the central basis for the success of the Atkins program. When normal reserves of carbohydrates are unavailable for the body to burn, it immediately resorts to using stored fat as its primary source of energy.

Karen Erickson, managing director of UNC's Clinical Nutrition Research Center, said ketosis is not life-threatening, but it might strain a person's kidneys and could have a detrimental effect on bone health.

"The reason weight loss works is because you're taking in less calories, but the premise they are selling you is that you are turning your body into a fat-burning machine," Erickson said.

According to the Atkins Nutritionals Web site, http://www.atkins.com, the restrictions included in the diet begin with a phase called induction.

During this period, which lasts two weeks, the dieter is not allowed to exceed 20 grams of carbohydrates per day -- approximately half the amount found in a 12 oz. can of Coca-Cola.

After two weeks, an increase of five grams of carbohydrates per week is allowed. Atkins stresses that this drastic change in eating habits is more than a diet, it is a lifestyle change.

Chapel Hill resident and registered nurse Janet Samiee, 52, and her husband, Mark Hance, 56, have been on the Atkins diet for about six months and said they are very pleased with its results. "The point is to try to change eating habits, not to replace, just trying to stop craving sweets," Samiee said.

The couple stressed the importance of eliminating "the white stuff," such as breads, pastas, cookies and crackers, and focusing on eating more vegetables and meat.

"It's definitely something a significant amount of people are doing," Hance said. "It's a lifestyle change."

But some students do not buy into the Atkins diet.

"You can't not eat bread for the rest of your life," said Sara Assaid, a junior exercise and sports science major. "Carbs are the entire basis of the food pyramid."

Assaid's friend, senior Katherine Currin, lost 40 pounds in four months using Weight Watchers.

"It's about portion control. You can eat anything you want," said Currin, who has kept the weight off for eight months so far and would recommend the diet to anyone.

Cohen said, "Atkins has commercial appeal. It's like the Slim Fast, Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers of the new millennium."

Contact the Features Editor at features~unc.edu.
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