Robert Atkins 's A New Concept

Through a substantial amount of research the authors prove that by following a fad diet it can cause many adverse effects, as well as shedding light on benefits of exercise and maintaining a balanced diet. In the opening chapters of the book it is discussed why low fat diets do not work and exactly which diets do. While reading about low fat diets and the health risks that they cause, the book draws you in by explaining the patient profile of a 55 year old man, whom had lost his life due to heart attack. By reading this section of the book its outline how we are all responsible for maintaining our own health, and cases

Profit-oriented leaders of new diet fads surely would be infuriated while reading the words of Michael Pollan in his work, Unhappy Meals—not necessarily because of his aim to disprove diet fallacies but, rather, the possible ramifications of Pollan’s words on their bank accounts. Explained in the article, the world’s understanding of diets and their effects on the human body has improved steadily—if not exponentially—throughout recent history. Here, the advocates of new diets claim the changing world and its understanding of health requires changes in diet; the human body will adapt to the new times. To counter, Pollan argues that is definitely true, but we have to be open to the idea of the death that occurs during the process.

While nutritionism is suppose to scientifically guide us to eat healthy, Pollan points out that there is no scientific evidence to back it. Instead, he provides research conducted by Harvard nutrition scientist that proves the opposite. "In the public's mind [...] words like 'low-fat' and 'fat-free' have been synonymous with heart health. It is now increasingly recognized that low-fat campaign has been based on little scientific evidence and may have caused unintended health consequences." (Pollan 43). In Based off these observations, Pollan uses inductive reasoning to draw the conclusion that nutritionism is more harmful then helpful.

It is important to manage the carbohydrate intake week-to-week (Atkins par. 7). The third and fourth phases of the Atkins diet are for maintenance phases. Dieters should avoid any foods that could possibly cause weight gain, and continue to watch the intake of carbohydrates. The intake of carbohydrates may be increased during this phase but still must be managed (Atkins par. 8). The Atkins diet has had some controversies and some successes as well. This diet is a high-fat diet and the government health agencies only recommend thirty percent of fat in our diets. The Atkins diet requires the dieter to consume much more fat than that, easily (Atkins par. 9). A success that the Atkins dieters have experienced is not only weight loss, but an improvement in health as well (Atkins par. 10). Although this diet has been very time consuming for dieters, it has had wondrous outcomes.

The Medical and sports nutrition establishment are horrified by the concept of low carbohydrate and ketogenic diets. While studies are being released almost daily proving the superiority of low carb diets for fat loss, the medical establishment warns against trying them as the long term health risks are "unknown". Apparently it is a case of 'better the devil you know than the devil you don 't '.

Dietary decisions are frequently impressionable and can sway between generations or cultures frequently. Often these shifts in the popular beliefs about diet are fueled by scientific studies or doctors, you can simply examine the impact of Dr. Oz T.V. program or remember the popularity of the Atkins diet to see how quickly these shifts can happen. One such claim that can be found is that, high levels of dietary cholesterol is the leading cause of heart disease and obesity. Katherine Pett of Nutrition Wonk examines a trend within the scientific community in which over simplification and misrepresentation can skew work that has existed for over half of a decade.

Today, as many Americans suffer from weight-attributed ailments, society continues to look for a solution to the age-old question: What should we be eating? As a result, many new complex and often complicated diets with millions of scientific explanations of how it works arise and are taken up blindly by the public. Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food, also attempted to give his point of view on the subject of eating. He makes it quite simple for his readers to follow, he simply states people should eat food, not too much, and mostly plants. He claims that most food on the market today is not actually food, it is heavily processed food products. Because of this, he tells his readers to eat “real food” and to generally eat less at the same time, while eating mostly plants as plants are generally the least processed foods and are the healthiest options for us. Pollan also criticized the public and its motion of what he called nutritionism, which is when people are overly obsessed with nutritional values of food and being healthy and

“Many of the foods served up and even glorified by the wholesome-food movement are themselves chock full of fat and problem carbs […] insisting that the lack of processing magically renders them healthy (Freedman). What he does not argue nor compare in any place in these 10,500 words article is the nutritive content of both products or alternatives. The idea is not to bring a lot of numbers to the context of this article, but nutrition is a science, and losing weight can be summarized to something as easy as subtracting the consumption of calories, whether eating 3 Egg White McMuffins a day or adopting the Paleolithic

We’ve been told in the earlier years by nutritionists that some food are more healthy than others, but only to be overturned by later studies. Pollan feels that this orthodoxy is very contradicting as Americans have been assured about how having a low diet helps prevent health issues, but only to be revealed by even more professionals that these foods actually have harmful effects on health, “Sooner or later, everything solid we’ve been told about the links between our diet and our health seems to get blown away in the gust of the most recent study” (Pollan). They have been told that these foods are of no harm, yet to only acquire health issues such as obesity later in their lives. For instance, my friends tried to only eat foods that affirm a low diet, however, it has barely done anything to their health and weight. Surprisingly, these supposedly “low-diet” foods doesn’t provide the vitamins enough for the body to function properly (Miller). It has been said that low diet foods makes people want to eat more than usual because these foods are mostly served in smaller portions that make people think that they are eating

Equally alarming is the information the authors conveyed regarding the government’s repudiation of information presented by the Surgeon General as well as the World Health Organization expressing that a healthy diet assists in the prevention of obesity related illness. It was surprising to learn that the government would question the viability of these reliable institution’s findings. I have to question my faith in the integrity of our nation’s most influential health organizations at the hearing of this information. I agree with the Surgeon General and the World Health Organization; healthy diet definitively aids in well-being and deterrence of obesity linked maladies. As my father has a formidable relationship with unhealthy food his health has been plagued with diabetes as well as significant heart problems; these illnesses are notably linked to poor diet choices. Conversely, my father-in-law was diagnosed with prediabetes and upon hearing the news promptly changed his eating habits to include the elimination of sugar; in a few short months his grim prognosis was transformed. It is my belief that the foods an individual chooses to consume can have vast repercussions, good or bad, on health.

For the past thirty years, we’ve been instructed that a low-fat, high-carb diet is the best way to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle. In 1955, US President Dwight Eisenhower suffered a heart attack, and worked with his chief physician to encourage Americans to cut down on fat and cholesterol, stating that this would be the best way to avoid future heart disease. The first official government dietary guidelines were published in 1980, and they too advised Americans to limit fat and increase carbs.

“The Atkins Diet,” a high protein, high fat, low-carbohydrate diet was introduced in 1972 by Dr. Robert C. Atkins, MD. Dr. Atkins believed that a diet high in sugar forced the pancreas to produce the hormone insulin, causing the body to store calories as fat. He believed that if we consumed fewer carbohydrates, then our bodies would produce less insulin. By doing so, our bodies would use stored fat for energy, resulting in weight loss. (1)

Perhaps one of the most evident flaws is the continual development and marketing of fad diets. These fad diets are generally characterized as being simple, short-term, and unrealistically promising. In other words, they do more harm than good. Deakin University’s Dr. Tim Crowe explains the issues behind these “Dieting Myths” in his article, Nutrition Messages Given By Fad Diets Can Alter people’s Food Perceptions (2008); In his words, “fad diets have been known to

If there is one thing Americans know a lot about its diets. Everything from Weight watchers to Atkins and everything in between has been promoted on televisions, in bestselling books and now advertised all over social media. Each one claiming to be the answer to weight loss, lifelong health and even making claims of reversing disease. Unfortunately even with this inundation, Americans are larger than ever. It’s confusing. Who is right, who is wrong? What can be believed? What can the average person actually attain and stick to? The government even has a say in what people should be eating. The food pyramid and more recently MyPlate have been attempts to steer people towards health. Unfortunately, they have been steering people in the wrong direction. A low fat high carbohydrate diet has been promoted extensively for many years, but it has left Americans fatter than ever So what is the answer? It surprises some and frustrates others, but a high fat, moderate protein and low carbohydrate diet is the way to go. This way of eating is commonly referred to as the ketogenic diet or keto. The ketogenic way of eating is the best diet because it promotes safe, healthy weight management including appetite control, reduces inflammation and high blood sugars, and supports brain health.

Globally, it is quite common that most human beings consume some sort of animal or its by-product with little to no fruits or vegetables unless there is frying involved. In the past few years, inhabiting a healthier lifestyle has become the new desirable trend. Incorporating these changes into a standard American diet may come with some challenges including self-discipline and motivation but overall; eating more of a plant-based diet comes with multiple benefits which go beyond physical changes. In addition to how we should try our best to eat and exercise, people often get manipulated along the way of their individual fitness journeys with fad diets and “miracle” weight loss pill. These horrible starvation tactics have all been proven some way or another to be mentally and internally damaging. Let alone that these methods are relevant because of how much obesity rates have gone up in the last thirty years. Consequently, with the increase of food consumption; the increase of food waste as also exponentially grown from having too much produce production. Each of these health cautious attempts has resulted in a greater extent of negative based loop-holes and soon to be environmental epidemics.