The BBC Horizon programme reviewed in this week's BMJ again raised questions about the ever popular Atkins diet. Does it work? If so, how does it work? And what are the risks?
The website of Atkins Nutritionals (http://atkins.com/) offers an overview of the science behind the diet—with summaries of articles from peer reviewed journals taken from PubMed—as well as providing many controlled carb recipes. There is also a carbohydrate gram counter, to help dieters find the net carbs in many of their “favourite everyday foods.”
An opposite viewpoint comes from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a US based advocate for preventive medicine, especially good nutrition. The committee's Atkins Diet Alert (www.atkinsdietalert.org) provides information “for physicians and laypeople with questions and concerns about high-protein Atkins-type diets.” There is a wealth of information here—some of it targeted at doctors—including brief reviews, expert opinions, and even some “Survivor Stories” and tales of those who were not so lucky, such as 16 year old Rachel Huskey who died after following a high protein, low carbohydrate diet.
Most of us may want to stick to tried and tested approaches to the management of obesity. The UK's National Obesity Forum (www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk) was “established in May 2000 to raise awareness of the growing impact of obesity and overweight on our patients and our National Health Service.” Site features include useful management guidelines and links to educational materials. The site of the US National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Prevention (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/) offers more in-depth information about overweight and obesity, with sections on definitions, research, statistics, contributing factors, consequences, recommendations, and resources.
Those wanting to know more about current research on obesity and weight loss programmes, or even to participate in trials, should visit the US ClinicalTrials.gov website (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/gui/action/FindCondition?ui=D009765&recruiting=tree). Forthcoming studies include one that will compare the Atkins diet with Brownell's LEARN programme, a high carbohydrate, low fat diet (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00006193?order=42).