It’s probably no secret that since the low-carb approach to weight loss was published, arguably the most visible proponent was Dr. Robert Atkins; the medical profession in general was not impressed. In fact, it could be suggested that many doctors, researchers, and government agencies went to great lengths to try to convince us that we ignored this approach to weight loss. Study after study was presented as evidence and in support of their position. There was so much negative information in the media that it eventually became a weight loss method that, if followed, was not something the participant talked about too openly. It just wasn’t socially acceptable. This seems to be a common method of suppressing anything other than the status quo.
But something happened along the way that started to change things. Low carb weight loss advocates actually lost weight; heaps. They kept the weight off and began to show signs of other health-related benefits such as reduced cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure results, fewer glycemic attacks, etc. The pressure on the medical establishment began to mount and the requests for more authentic research reached a very high level. Over time, these calls resulted in a growing number of studies showing that there may be some validity to the diet approach. It was a start.
With approximately 60% of Americans being overweight or obese and a significant number of us suffering from related chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, the importance of providing safe and effective weight loss methods is critical. It seems that most diets fail. My impression is that our inability to persevere, the demands placed on us by our personal and professional lives, and the lack of long-term results are the main contributors to this failure. An approach that is not severely restrictive with regard to food choices, offers initial success in weight reduction in exchange for an initial participation in the plan for a couple of weeks, and can explain, predict, and help resolve stagnations deserves much. attention.
In fact, Gary Foster, director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University in Philadelphia was recently quoted, “We’ve been past the time where we’d say the Atkins diet is bad for you. That is an outdated position. This is a viable alternative for weight loss.. “
It is important to note here that any approach that safely, after review by your healthcare professional, helps you lose weight is highly beneficial and deserves consideration. Some are more applicable to your lifestyle and preferences. If so, follow them.
It should be your hope and goal that the initial weight loss becomes a complete lifestyle change. Let’s face it, it’s our eating habits and lifestyle that created the problem in the first place, unless a particular medical condition was the culprit. In my opinion, eventually, if there is no lifestyle change, there will be no long-term weight loss and no maintenance of that weight loss. Welcome to the infamous “weight loss roller coaster” that can be reported to be dangerous to your health in its own right.
Recently, a summary of 17 studies that followed more than 1,100 obese individuals who were following the low-carb weight loss approach provided some very interesting observations. On average, these dieters, over the course of 6 to 12 months, lost nearly 18 pounds. At worst, it’s an average of 1.5 pounds per month for the year. Who wouldn’t register in advance?
It seems that dieters improved their body shape by losing inches around the waist, but that’s not all. They also saw improvements in other categories. Specifically, areas such as blood pressure, blood sugar, blood fats, and good cholesterol had improved, while bad cholesterol (LDL) had not changed. The bottom line is that by improving heart disease and other risk factors, our dieters were getting healthier. Isn’t this what it’s all about?
I know that the medical profession is a dedicated, often selfless group of people. In addition to not harming us and curing our ills, they are committed to protecting our best good. Now, to some extent, science is catching up to the low carb weight loss lifestyle. I’d like to see more doctors take a second look at this research so that those of us who follow this approach can become a more mainstream mainstream; getting the good news out to more people who would benefit as a result.