Why Atkins Works

(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Researchers who conducted the first well-controlled study of the low-carb Atkins diet believe they know how the diet takes off the extra pounds — and it’s not what some people have thought. The study found people who went on the diet simply lowered their average daily calorie consumption by about 1,000 calories. They did so on their own, as the diet allows people to eat as much fat and protein as they want. “When carbohydrates were restricted, study subjects spontaneously reduced their caloric intake to a level appropriate for their height,” says lead researcher Guenther Boden, M.D., from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. “We concluded that excessive overeating had been fueled by carbohydrates.” All 10 people taking part in the study were obese and had type 2 diabetes, and they all stayed in the hospital during the study so researchers could accurately measure everything they ate. Previous studies of the Atkins diet were conducted among people living at home who self-reported how well they stuck to the diet, thus calling many of the results into question. Scientists speculated the weight loss seen in people on the Atkins diet is related mainly to water weight loss or a stepped up metabolism. These researchers found no evidence this was true, nor did they find anything to support another popular assumption, which is that people eat less on Atkins because they get bored with the food choices. Says Boden of his study participants: “They weren’t bored with the food choices. In fact, they loved the diet.” In addition to losing weight, the study subjects also experienced improved blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, and they lowered their cholesterol and triglycerides.