Atkins Low-Carb Diet Treated Unfairly By Consumer Reports Panel

The June 2007 issue of "Consumer Reports" compares the various diets

Although there is a tremendous amount of evidence coming out of the research community in FAVOR of livin' la vida low-carb as a viable diet for weight loss and health, that isn't stopping the great defenders of the status quo from thumbing their nose at programs like the Atkins diet.

That's exactly what this FOX News story about a new Consumer Reports examination of the most popular diets clearly shows. It was deja vu all over again like I highlighted in 2005 when they proclaimed the Atkins diet as an acceptable "short-term weight loss" program, but then qualifiied it by stating it "might have a negative effect on some dieters' health."

Hoo boy! Gee, I wonder how they feel about it two years later?

With diet books coming out a dime a dozen these days in response to the ever-growing, both figuratively and literally, obesity epidemic, the folks over at Consumer Reports decided to put together another panel of diet and health experts in 2007 to take a look at these new plans as well as the ones most commonly used for weight loss and improving health.

But all you have to do is take one quick look at the criteria for how these nutritionists and other so-called health "experts" determined what is "healthy" (which I describe as subjectively senile) to realize livin' la vida low-carb wasn't gonna stand a snowball's chance in Hell of being shown in a positive light although you and I know how much it has helped millions of us get trim and healthy.

What was their bodacious (and I'd say bogus) criteria?

According to Consumer Reports Senior Project Editor Nancy Metcalf, they took a sample 7-day menu plan taken from their books and web sites for each of the diets examined and matched them up with the 2005 U.S. dietary guidelines from the infamous high-carb, low-fat USDA-recommended Food Pyramid.

Oh, do you mean the same guidelines that say to eat a diet high in carbohydrate because everybody knows your body NEEDS carbs, lower in fat especially that villianous saturated fat, and artificially lower in calories and portion sizes because by golly it's all about "calories in, calories out," right?

Oh brother! Metcalf exclaims the report "is a good consensus on a healthy diet."

Let me tell you something, Ms. Metcalf. Consensus doesn't make it right (just look at "global warming"). It simply means almost everyone agrees on the same conclusions, but nothing else. The preponderance of the evidence over the past few years has shown livin' la vida low-carb is a healthy lifestyle no matter how much against the grain to conventional wisdom it is. That's why it came out on top in the Stanford University study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) this year.

So, it should come as no surprise to anyone that the most famous low-carb diet in the world created by the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins came in DEAD LAST in this Consumer Reports comparison of the diet.

"Its nutritional profile is far outside dietary guidelines," they concluded.

Well surprise, surprise! What else would you expect when the parameters for measuring the effectiveness of the diet are based on information that is completely irrelevant for people following a low-carbohydrate nutritional approach?

The Consumer Reports panel named the low-calorie, moderate-fat "Volumetrics" diet by Dr. Barbara Rolls as the most effective diet program and Bob Greene's exercise-focused "The Best Life Diet" as the best diet book in the analysis.

Also ranking high on the "best" diets (you might want to hold your nose and get ready for the gag reflex to kick in) include mainstream diet plans such as Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and Slim-Fast.

The middle-of-the-road diets were the generic eDiets, the moderate-carb "The Zone Diet" from Barry Sears, "Eat, Drink, & Weigh Less" by Mollie Katzen and Dr. Walter Willett, "YOU: On a Diet," by Dr. Michael F. Roizen and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, and "The Abs Diet" by David Zinczenko and Ted Spiker.

Bringing up the rear with the Atkins diet was Dean Ornish's ultra-low-fat diet, Dr. Arthur Agatston's lower-carb plan "The South Beach Diet," Dr. Connie Guttersen's moderate-carb book "The Sonoma Diet," and Dr. Mark Hyman's smart-carb "Ultrametabolism" book.

The complete side-by-side comparison of the diets will appear in the June 2007 issue of Consumer Reports.

Metcalf justified the findings of the report by hiding behind the claim that she just "let the chips fall where they may." No you didn't, Ms. Metcalf. Rather, you missed a golden opportunity to look at the merits of the various diet plans in a real world setting. Had you tested these diets on real people following them exactly as the author prescribed, then it is my contention you would have seen the actual results trump all of your preconceived notions about what is a "healthy" diet.

Instead, what Ms. Metcalf and those so-called "experts" on the panel looked at the diets through their own skewed rose-colored glasses which made it entirely subjective based on their own individual biases. No science, no objectivity, just pure unadulterated opinion. And that's not good enough for a major magazine that millions will read and, sadly, believe.

One of the Consumer Reports expert panelists (who actually IS an "expert") was a low-carb researcher I saw at the obesity conference in Nashville, Tennessee last week named Dr. Eric Westman from Duke University. I interviewed Dr. Westman for a future episode of my podcast show to complement the previous interview I did with him last year at my blog.

Dr. Westman echoed my concerns about this report.

"When you compare a weight loss diet to a healthy-eating guideline [referring to the Food Pyramid], of course it is going to look bad because it is restricted in calories and, perhaps, in carbohydrates," Dr. Westman remarked. "This is a common point of confusion. If you have diabetes, can you follow the healthy-diet guidelines? No! You are not healthy: You have diabetes and need a different kind of diet."

He's exactly right! When you think of a "diet," most people are referring to a way to lose weight or control a health condition. That's why looking at a low-carbohydrate dietary approach from the standpoint of "healthy-diet guidelines" is an unfair assessment. Yes, the Atkins low-carb diet is healthy, but is generally a starting point for weight loss. It can become your lifetime way to eat, but you start it to shed the pounds.

Furthermore, the extremely arbitrary rankings of these various diets is not scientific at all and they have not been truly tested by long-term studies of any kind, especially these newer diets that supposedly rank higher than Atkins low-carb. Isn't that the primary excuse we constantly hear bantered about regarding low-carb diets? Uh huh, it sure is! So where's that urgent sense of responsibility now, hmmm? Can you say hypocrites? Yep, that's what they are!

All I know is the Atkins diet saved my life and has been my long-term solution to a lifelong struggle with obesity. I am no longer a miserable-in-my-own-skin 400-pound man wallowing in my morbid obesity. Those days are long gone now thank the good Lord.

Livin' la vida low-carb came into my life and swooped me off my feet to completely restore my health. That's something Consumer Reports can NEVER quantify in their silly rankings. My only disappointment is this national report will very likely sway people away from low-carb living when it might just be the answer to their weight and health issues. Sigh.

Metcalf said something quite shocking in light of the overall theme of the rankings of the various diets. She admitted that most diets either work or don't work based on the individual.

"None of these diets, even the highest rated, created a lot of weight loss—10 pounds at best," she contended. "But people shouldn't be disappointed. Small weight losses can have big health effects."

Well, if all of this is true, Ms. Metcalf, then why even create rankings of the diets in the first place? If they are all equally effective or ineffective, then what good purpose is served by listing them in some kind of order from best to worst? Can't we just say they're all excellent options and people should choose the one that is best for them? Well we SHOULD!

I'm gonna say it very clearly for everyone to hear: the Atkins diet is entirely appropriate for those who choose this healthy way of eating for weight loss and improved health. I have cited plenty of controlled studies done by respected scientists to back my claims here at my blog. Just Google 'em and see for yourself!

I realize that livin' la vida low-carb is counterintuitive, but that doesn't make it wrong. If you read the Consumer Reports diet comparison and somehow concluded the Atkins low-carb diet is unhealthy, then let me assure you it is not.

I've lost nearly 200 pounds, dropped 24 inches from my waist, gotten off of three prescription medications, and am more physically active at the age of 35 than I have ever been in my entire life. I'm a walking, talking example of the lifechanging ability of this way of eating. If you ask me, there's no greater proof of the viability of low-carb than that!

If you have any questions about the low-carb lifestyle, then I'm happy to answer them anytime. Please feel free to e-mail me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

Let Nancy Metcalf and the team of editors at Consumer Reports know what you think about their report on diets by clicking here.

5-15-07 UPDATE: Well, I got the following generic response from the Customer Relations department for Consumer Reports:

Dear Mr. Jimmy Moore:

Thanks for taking the time to contact Consumer Reports®. It is always a pleasure to hear from our readers!

We appreciate your taking the time to write to us regarding our report on dieting in the June 2007 issue. Your correspondence has provided us with invaluable feedback on how we're doing. Please be assured that our readers' comments and thoughts help shape the work we do. I will, of course, forward your correspondence regarding the Atkins Diet to the appropriate department(s) for their review and consideration for our future reports.

Thanks again for taking the time to write. Your interest in our work is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Jason Jaworski
Senior Customer Relations Representative
995720

As someone who has worked in customer service for a very large American company, I can assure you NOTHING is going to be done about this. They don't care about what we the people think because they wanted the headlines to show that the Atkins diet came in last place.

I consider it a badge of honor that livin' la vida low-carb did so poorly in this report because they used the outdated government dietary guidelines as their source for a "healthy" diet. We already know that diet is whacked, so it's no biggie. :)

Consumer Reports Diet Survey Says We Have High Hopes For Weight Loss, But...

I came across this USA Today story that features a brand new survey about what we think about diet and weight loss. There are lessons we can learn from each other to bring about the highly-coveted success we all desire so much we can taste it. And yet only a few ever attain it.

What the survey found is something I blogged about last week. We lose a little weight, start feeling great, think things will be different this time, but then the stall comes along ruins it all. Self-sabotage and unfulfilled expectations will drive your diet crazy!

The Opinion Research Corporation survey of 2,058 adults that appeared in Consumer Reports magazine on Monday found that four in ten people are trying to lose an average of 40 pounds. If they join my "30-In-30" challenge, then they'll get there by the end of the year and well on their way to their eventual goal.

Three-fourths believe they can do it and should keep that positive attitude even when the going gets tough. Almost everyone (85 percent) have been able to lose weight before, but they somehow gave up on the plan despite their success.

Interestingly, close to half of all women (47 percent) and over one-third of men (34 percent) are trying to get fit. Two-thirds are doing it on their own by watching what goes into their mouth while getting ample amount of physical activity. But the weight loss is right in line with what I encourage at "30-In-30"--5 pounds a month over three months.

That's MORE than a pound-a-week average.

So, where does the disconnect come into play that causes people to diet, get discouraged, and fail, diet, get discouraged, and fail...UGH! A Pew Research study noted in the story from last April may explain.

Click here to learn more about the results of that study which indicates why people don't reach their weight loss goals. But the good news is I share how you can overcome triumphantly over a lifetime of obesity struggles.

Consumer Reports Skews Atkins Benefits

This Associated Press story is all over the place today heralding a new rating of the top diets in America according to the June issue of Consumer Reports magazine out today.

Do I even need to tell you what they think of livin' la vida low-carb?

The top two diets according to Consumer Reports is the meetings-based low-fat program Weight Watchers and the high-sugar shakes and bars plan Slim Fast.

The rating were determined by the amount of weight participants lost, nutritional content of the foods that were eaten, the diet's ease of use and the length of time partipants stuck with the diet.

Weight Watchers got the highest overall marks, but Slim-Fast was found to be the best weight loss program for losing weight, according to Consumer Reports.

I used to be on Slim-Fast way back when. It was an okay diet, but you quickly get tired of sucking down those nasty-tasting bars after a while. Talk about boring, this was the epitome of boring, regardless of the new flavors they would come out with. It was certainly easy and you can lose weight on it, but it's not something that can realistically be done over the long haul like low-carb.

Speaking of the low-carb lifestyle, Consumer Reports applauds it as a great "short-term weight loss" program, but lambastes it for failing to help participants retain their weight loss and for providing poor nutrition. Additionally, the Atkins lifestyle is criticized for having too much fat and saturated fat, too few fruits, too little fiber and that it "might have a negative effect on some dieters' health."

Here we go again! While I not only used Atkins to lose my 180 pounds in 2004, I have been using it as a weight maintenance program for the past 5 months and have held steady ever since. I have eaten many of the same great-tasting foods I ate during my weight loss with a few additional carbs than I used to eat.

I get excellent nutritional content from the fruits and vegetables I consume and have never felt more energetic in my entire life. As for fiber, I'm eating so much fiber now I can't stay out of the bathroom! Okay, maybe it's not that bad, but fiber is a crucial element for people doing a low-carb lifestyle.

As for fat, I wrote about a new study earlier today that proves restricting your fat intake is not only unhealthy for you, but it will make you fatter! The focus on fat in the United States as a main contributor to the obesity problem has been exposed, and it appears the real story is the myth that says you can lose weight by restricting fat grams. That idea's gone bye-bye now!

This whole idea that low-carb is only for the short-term and lacks nutrition is unfounded. There is no evidence that backs up this repeated lie. There are millions upon millions of people like you and me who can attest to the improvements in our weight and health as a result of livin' la vida low-carb!

An Atkins spokesperson said this Consumer Reports study only examined the first stage or two of their weight loss program and ignored the nutritional approach advocated and promoted in the third and fourth phase where maintenance is encouraged and there is greater flexibility in the plan.

I thought it was interesting that the magazine based its conclusions on "clinical research on each diet," "a nutrient and calorie analysis" of the foods eaten and "how closely they follow federal dietary guidelines."

Well, of course the Atkins approach did terrible with this as the criteria for rating it! With all the negativity about the low-carb lifestyle out there, do you think the "clinical research" is going to look highly on this way of eating. And as for the "nutrient and calorie analysis," these aren't as important when you are doing low-carb as they are when you are on a low-carb/low-calorie diet. Finally, the low-carb lifestyle certainly does not adhere to the "federal dietary guidelines" recommended by the government. Is it any wonder why low-carb was at the bottom of this list of diets?!

The conclusion made by Consumer Reports Senior Editor Nancy Metcalf is that any weight loss and maintenance program needs to be something that people can stick with over the long-term.

And that's why we've chosen to be livin' la vida low-carb, Ms. Metcalf! It is indeed something we can do to lose weight and to keep it off for good.