Dean Ornish Called Out For Attacking Atkins Diet

Why is Dr. Dean Ornish STILL attacking the Atkins diet?

The dust has barely settled on the recent JAMA study from Stanford researchers that found the Atkins diet was best among four popular diets, including The Zone, LEARN, and Ornish. But it's that last diet among that group that has the low-fat diet king himself in a tailspin tizzy right now and back into his usual attack mode against the Atkins diet.

Despite our amicable conversation just six months ago when he declared to me in my interview with him at my blog that he is "tired of the diet wars" and that "to the degree we can look for common ground [between low-fat and low-carb] at this point is going to be everyone's advantage," it seems Dr. Dean Ornish has completely abandoned his own advice and gone into a full-fledged, all-out assault against the very weight loss and health plan he was praising me for helping people better understand not that long ago.

Interestingly, the original version of that Newsweek column contained some extremely malicious lies surrounding the untimely death of the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins that the magazine now describes at the end of their revised column an "inaccurate account of events" and that "Newsweek regrets the error." Well isn't that just nice. It's as if to say Oops--but the damage and urban legend about that amazing man continues on long after he has been laid to rest.

As you read through Ornish's all-too-familiar whining and complaining about the JAMA study being somehow "flawed," you get the feeling he's trying to redefine what "healthy" is using his own bias in favor of a low-fat diet while completely overlooking the incredible changes that happened in the weight and health of the Atkins dieters in the study. Unfortunately, the idea that any one diet is good for everyone is ridiculous as most people will readily admit.

Except for Dr. Ornish that is.

We hear the same old tired arguments against livin' la vida low-carb from him that we've always heard--it's just "bacon and eggs"; you can't tell me pork skins and brie are health foods; LDL goes up on low-carb; HDL are "garbage trucks" for the body; on and on it goes with the stale arguments that nobody is buying anymore, Dr. Ornish!

And now a group of low-carb health experts who are totally fed up with Dr. Ornish and his irresponsible lies are calling him out for attacking the Atkins low-carb nutritional approach with the cold hard facts. Led by Dr. Mary C. Vernon, the distinguished list of real experts also includes Jacqueline A. Eberstein, Dr. Stephen D. Phinney, Dr. Eric C. Westman, and Dr. Jay Wortman.

In an open letter to the public that was summarily rejected by several major media outlets as a direct response to Ornish's column entitled "Dean Ornish: Science Be Damned, Self-Interest Be Served," these low-carb experts are merely asking to be given a voice to their concerns that Dr. Ornish is not serving the best interests of the tens of millions of overweight and diabetic Americans who are being severely misinformed about their diet by him.

"Write to your local media, the national media, phone, email and demand that Dr. Vernon and other experts who follow the trail of science be given a voice."

When you read through what Dr. Vernon and the rest have written in their op-ed response to Dr. Onrish, then you will quickly realize that the low-fat diet guru has done nothing but thrown up a bunch of smoke screens in an attempt to bamboozle the public as he has done throughout his career as a so-called health "expert." Sure, he pretends to be in favor of low-fat and low-carb (and even writes as much at the end of his own column), but his obvious disdain for the Atkins diet could not be clearer.

So what should you do now if you agree that this response from the low-carb experts needs to be out there for the public to see? If you have a blog, then write about it TODAY and link to Dr. Vernon's blog as I have. Otherwise, let's bombard Newsweek, Time, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), your local newspaper, and anyone else in the media you can think of to request they publish this powerful response to Dr. Dean Ornish and his baseless and unfounded attacks against the Atkins low-carb diet. The truth deserves to be out there for all the world to see.

I've done my part today to spread the news. What will YOU do?

Atkins Diet Study Spikes Low-Carb Blog Traffic

What an amazing week this has been for those of us who are enthusiastic supporters of livin' la vida low-carb! Following the release of the now-infamous JAMA study providing good news about people who follow the Atkins/low-carb diet, the traffic at my blog has quite literally soared.

While I have the pleasure of seeing about 3,000-4,000 visitors come to the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog every single day (THANK YOU!), the past two days alone has been off the charts--nearly 15,000!!! In fact, on Thursday I set a new all-time single-day record for me with 7,947 pageviews--IN ONE DAY! WOWee hot diggity dog!

The positive Atkins story along with my appearance on local television here in South Carolina has led to the more than doubling of my "normal" traffic. You won't hear me complaining about it because that's even more people who can be exposed to the positive message that I'm attempting to put out there.

With the increase in traffic has also come a simultaneous spike in e-mails from people looking for assistance with their weight loss questions. Again, I am not complaining about that at all and am LOVING it (except that I haven't slowed down a bit since Tuesday!). :)

Since you'll never hear these kind of stories in the mainstream media sources, how about I share with you what real people are writing to me regarding their experiences on the low-carb lifestyle straight from my e-mail box this week?

Read and enjoy!

Hi Jimmy, Thanks for your blog. I have been doing Induction for a week (although I did not do the exact right kind in that I ate a couple of low-carb tortillas which I won't do anymore) and I already have lost 5 pounds. My energy is also way up.

Shortly before I started, I was extremely tired all the time. I would get so sleepy in the afternoons that I would have to take a nap. Of course I wasn't losing any weight because I was asleep about 15 hours total a day! I started feeling better just the second day of my low-carb diet and now I don't nap anymore. I don't feel tired enough to!

I've been posting on a low-carb forum, but mostly reading a lot. It seems like every other post I read is about a "stall." Everyone is having stalls, whether they last a few weeks or six months! I have been on diets for the past nine years, but I have never stalled significantly.

Is this related to the low carb way of eating? Or can it happen on any diet? I'm very concerned because this wouldn't be very confidence-building. I also was wondering about the "one golden shot" theory regarding low-carb. Sounds like trying even one time after to lose more weight is extremely harder than the first time.

Let me know and thanks again.

Those improvements in your health in such a short period of time because of low-carb are remarkable! CONGRATULATIONS!!! As you continue down this new lifestyle change, remember it is always a work in progress. Don't let stalls concern you because they are a fact of life on ANY diet and shouldn't make you give up. And by all means don't for a moment think the "one golden shot" theory is valid because it's not.

Here's another e-mail from a regular reader who saw a shocking television program recently on the subject of obesity:

Hi Jimmy,

No sure if you saw the TLC program, "I eat 33,000 calories a day" that aired last night, March 7, 2007. It's not scheduled to air again, but it is worth seeing if it shows up again. There were 4 morbidly obese people talking about their weight and health struggles. It was a British production. One gentleman weighs over 700 pounds!

It was so very sad to watch, but makes me so glad to be livin' la vida low-carb and losing the weight as a benefit to this healthy way of eating.

By the way, I love your blog. I read your posts everyday and sometimes re-read them because they help get me through the tougher days.

WOW, I hadn't heard about that show on The Learning Channel, but it sounds interesting to say the least. I couldn't help but think about former 1200-pound man Manuel Uribe--except he is doing something about his weight now! It certainly makes you appreciate the miracle of the low-carb lifestyle, doesn't it? THANKS for your very kind compliments about my blog.

There were several e-mails from people wanting my help with their weight loss:

Hi Jimmy,

I am looking for someone to talk with and share my struggles of losing weight. I have tried it all and I can't seem to lose the weight. I need encouragement and suggestions, so that I can begin my journey of getting this weight off and keep it off. Please send me any suggestions that you have that will help me with this problem.

I was inspired by someone that saw your interview on Newschannel 7. I look forward to hearing back from you, so that I can start my journey of losing this weight and keeping it off. I truly need and want your help with this matter. I know my 1st step is to put as much energy in losing the weight that I put in 9-5 job, in which I focus on more sometimes than myself. Help!!!!!

And here's another from a truck driver who wants to shed the pounds:

Jimmy,

I am inspired by your story. I'm a desperate man facing having to go on higher doses of blood pressure medicine, diabetes medicine and cholesterol medicine if my numbers aren't down by May on my next doctor's appointment. I have tried the latest diet attempt of trying Pat Robertson's weight loss shakes but I get tired of making a shake consisting of expensive protein powders, fruit, and vinegar, etc. I need help.

I weigh about 380-385 pounds. I have some kind of body pain every day and I know it's my weight. I know how it feels to be trapped inside this oversized body and it doesn't feel good. I actually think I have gained weight since the doctor told me to lose it. She gave me one diet for blood pressure which is the DASH DIET, one for diabetes and one for cholesterol. It hurt me when my little girl asked me if I would feel good if I could run? It would feel good to walk without a struggle and what a struggle it is.

I'll be good for a little while and cheat again and I am back to square one. Fear sets in and says I can't do it. I'm afraid that I can't do it. Jesus help me get delivered! Can you give me some tools about some meal plans that are simple for someone who is a truck driver? My job is also on the line because I almost didn't pass my physical due to high blood pressure. Well, enough said. Please help me!

If I don't get help, I don't know what might become of my health and life.

These people are desperate and pouring out their heart to me for help. I've personally responded to each of these e-mails, but I wanted you to see what people are sharing. I received an e-mail from a woman right here in my hometown of Spartanburg, SC, so I called her earlier this week to surprise her with a personal conversation about what she wrote to me about. Here's what she wrote to me:

Hi Jimmy,

I work at the county health department in (of all places) the Nutrition Department. Four years ago I was able to lose 79 pounds on Atkins. In the past 3 years I have had four surgeries for various problems and just forgot about dieting. Of that 79 pounds, I have re-gained 40 back and I just can't seem to get motivated.

I am 54 and I want so bad to lose weight. I have two brothers and we all have been overweight all of our lives. Well, they both have had gastric bypass surgery and it's amazing to see them now. Me, I am a state employee and our insurance will not cover it. So I have no other choice but to lose it by dieting.

I was wondering if you have classes or if you speak anywhere about your weight loss. Do you have samples of menu's of the food that you consumed? When I really get into Atkins and get past that first week I truly enjoy the diet when the cravings for sweets go away. Do you have favorite menus and recipes? Do you buy any of the low-carb dinners, shakes or bars?

If you could help me I would really appreciate it. I am currently raising my 8 year old granddaughter, she needs me and I need to be here for her in the future. HELP!

She was such a sweet lady to talk to and I enjoyed our conversation. Before I hung up, I made sure she knew I was here for her to help her in any way that I can. I'd love to go around doing speaking engagements, but there is still such hostility to low-carb. Maybe that'll change at some point.

I have read your articles and do not disagree with you or the low-carb lifestyle whatsoever. I have done a very low-carb diet and lost four pant sizes in 2 months (I don't weigh myself so my clothes tell me) but that was the best I have ever done on a diet. Yet, I can't seem to get back on and stay back on it and I am acutally bigger than when I started. I want to so badly but i am sooooo weak. I even have very close friends who are doing low-carb right now and I just have no willpower to do it. I guess I need help, thanks for taking the time to read this.

This kind of defeatist attitude is poison for ANY weight loss plan, so try to be optimistic and expectant that livin' la vida low-carb will work and then WATCH OUT! You might find it is precisely what you need to do to lose weight and get healthy for life. Here's another experience from a low-carber trying to live this life:

I am not following any protocol or rules with my eating low-carb. I try to keep track of my eating by writing down my meals. But that is more of a way for me to keep myself in check. I'm writing down the ounces, fat grams, carb grams and calories. Just writing it down to kind of force myself to see it and take responsibility for putting it in my mouth.

So your probably thinking "what is she doing to eat low-carb?" Well, I don't eat any bread, rice, potatoes or pasta. I try to avoid tomato-based products because (I believe) they are high in carbs. Although I do occasionally have some ketchup. I try to avoid sugar.

I'm using artificial sugars in my green tea. If I really get the craving for something sweet I eat sugar-free popsicles, or Breyers CarbSmart ice cream bars, or I try to find sugar-free chocolate bars. I sometimes snack on unflavored pork rinds when the rest of the family are eating potato chips.

So what else DO I eat?

BREAKFAST
Well, I usually get really nasty cramps from eggs. But I know they are a good source of protein and (I think) some fat. So sometimes in the morning I will take two or three eggs and mix them up with milk and eat those. Maybe with some cheese melted on top, or a tablespoon or two of salsa on top, or a wee bit of ketchup.

Other mornings I will see what meat is left over from dinner and I may heat that up and eat it with some cheese. It is hard because I love bread and butter and almost every morning my daughter eats a slice of toast with butter melting on top. Mmmmmm!

LUNCH
Usually a salad with some ham, or chicken sliced on top of it. Maybe some cheese sprinkled on top, if I have some. When I have Ranch dressing I prefer that, or some Italian. Maybe a few pickle slices on top. Or I may heat up a hamburger pattie or chicken breast and melt some Swiss cheese on it.

SUPPER
Usually I have the same type of food for dinner that I eat at lunch time.

SNACKS
Well, sometimes I get hungry in the afternoon and may heat up another hamburger pattie or eat some slices of ham. Or I'll eat the pork rinds if that sounds good. Now, sometimes I add some veggies to dinner. I'm thinking that is okay because they are healthy carbs...right? And the same thing for fresh fruits. Fresh fruit is kind of expensive for our budget, but occasionally I add them to my diet. Oh and of course, I'm usually drinking water all day long too.

I'm sure that I've got this all messed up. But I'm trying to eat low-carb with what our household budget will allow me. I mean, I've also got to get the family what they usually eat, so I'm trying to make my meal choices and the cost as unobtrusive to our budget and their lives as possible. I don't even know if that statement makes sense, but hopefully you get what I'm trying to say.

Gawsh...I'm craving a cappuccino so bad right now. I could go pour some water into my coffee mug, but I don't think that is gonna quash my craving or fool my mouth. LOL! Well, I'm gonna try to stop bothering you. I can see that you have a lot going on with the blog and all the research you must be doing to keep people informed and up to date with everything.

Thanks for being there. It is so very appreciated.

Whew! I need a break after that e-mail...(pant, pant, panting!)...ahhhhh, okay! I feel better now. I told this precious person she really needs to get a book about low-carb and follow this way of eating the right way rather than trying to guess about what to do. Dr. Atkins made it VERY clear which fruits and veggies are good for you when you are following his plan. GET THE BOOK!

Here's an e-mail from a fellow blogger working to educate the public about low-carb:

Thanks and keep up the GREAT work! You are saving lives!

I am doing my best to keep up with you. We use our coaching skills to people who are either Type II diabetics and/or obese. We have been gratified with the results and the excitement of seeing people who were basically at death's door, come back to enjoy an energetic and full life.

It's hard to believe that, in the relative scheme of things, this low-carb miracle information is only shared by a very few of us. I am reading a fantastic book now by Dr. Kaisseir titled, "On The Take" and how the FDA and the pharmaceutical companies are in collusion to keep patients on drugs.

THANKS for sharing your work with me! I haven't heard about that book, but it certainly looks like something I'd absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE! Anything that exposes what is happening behind-the-scenes of the pharmaceutical industry is AWESOME. Now if we can just make a difference somehow, some way.

Here's a fan of my blog who is on the South Beach low-carb program:

Hi Jimmy,

I applaud your efforts and really appreciate your blog! I, too, have been on a low-carb: South Beach, for a year now and I have lost 50 pounds. I still have about 30 more to go, but I will do it! This time, I'm keeping it off for good! It will be a life-long change in diet and exercise. Thanks for your encouragement.

You are VERY welcome! Keep up the great work!

Here's a regular reader who was excited about sharing her success with me:

Hi, Jimmy!

I wanted to let you know that today, 1318 days after I started Atkins on July 27, 2003, I have reached my GOAL!!!

Thanks for your blog--it has given me things to think about, and God has used your upbeat attitude to keep me plugging along.

Now I have to figure out how to maintain on this way of life. They say that's harder than losing, so I'm very grateful that you and Livin' La Vida Low-Carb will still be there with me through thick and thin (pun intended)!

That's totally awesome and I'm so proud of you. Keep on keepin' on with your low-carb lifestyle and never go back to your old ways again. Finally, here's a new reader whose doctor put her on a low-carb diet. Can you believe that?! WHOA!

Dear Jimmy:

I just read your blog and found it extremely inspirational. I was "diagnosed" with non-alcoholic fatty liver syndrome in august, 2006. My doctor recommended the Atkins diet rather than medication in order for the liver to rejuvenate itself.

My blood work has tremendously improved and I feel better than I have in years. I gained about 100 pounds during my pregnancy with my daughter. She will be 11 in April, and I am sorry to say I still have a way to go to lose it. I found with Atkins I was losing at a safe pace (about 50 pounds since August), but I have really held steady for a few months. I have every book, cookbook, keep a journal and am very careful about carb counts. I am just stuck and could use some encouragement.

And as for a regular exercise routine...I have NO routine! I keep making excuses that I cannot fit that in (Have I answered my own question yet??). My husband is extremely supportive and has started following the Atkins plan since Christmas. He is feeling better and has always been very active. Any help you could give would really make a difference to me.

I congratulate you on your success, and thank you profusely for providing your e-mail address and welcoming my "frustration." I do believe this has been a positive experience. I have had much more energy and quite honestly, I have not had as many "hormonal" issues (at 44 they were coming fast!!!) which has really improved my mood as well. I know this is the answer for me, but the weight loss has not been there (I have not gained, either!). TMI??? Hope not! Thanks again, Jimmy....you are an inspiration!

It's funny how some people who write to me know the answer to their own questions even before they get finished writing their e-mail. LOL! It just goes to show you that we don't always have an information problem but more a support and practical application issue to resolve. Both are important and I'll keep doing what I'm doing to encourage, educate, and inspire those who need a taste of hope in their weight loss.

Is that you? Do you have a question or comment you'd like to share with me? E-mail me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Again, THANK YOU to everyone who has visited over the past couple of days for the very first time as well as my faithful and devoted regular readers. You are all very special to me and make what I do worth every minute of it. SEE YA!

If Atkins Diet Didn't Work, Look In The Mirror

The media coverage and spin of the stunning new research out of Stanford University published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) confirming the Atkins diet is best that came out earlier this week has continued at a feverish pace in these past few days.

All of this attention reminds me of exactly what happened about a year ago when another JAMA study looked at low-fat diets over an 8-year period and concluded they were completely ineffective for maintaining weight loss and improved health over the long-term. Now these same people are in panic mode and attempting damage control...AGAIN! How much longer will this song and dance charade about the low-fat diet continue? As an intrigued observer of diet and health, I'M LOVIN' THIS!

There have been a few bright spots in the coverage of the Stanford study:

- "Weight of the Evidence" blog author Regina Wilshire's brilliant compilation of quotable quotes from all the so-called "experts" which will have you rolling out of your chair in laughter! Regina, you are GOOD! :) I wish I'd written that!

- New York Times science blogger John Tierney and his outstanding and quite balanced column entitled "The Low-Fat Diet Flunks Another Test." Take a look at the nearly 200 comments that post alone has generated so far. They will be well worth your time to review.

- Mark Sisson's "Daily Apple" blog explains "Why The Atkins Diet Works" and makes a very valid point that if the Ornish low-fat diet had been the one that produced the most weight loss and best improvements in health in that study, then don't you know they'd be falling all over themselves to say, "See, we were right!" But since it didn't happen, they're having to spin it as irrelevant. Thought-provoking piece!

- In case you missed the fireworks that ensued during the RevolutionHealth.com teleconference call debate featuring Dr. Michael Dansinger (who I will be interviewing here VERY soon!) and Dr. James Hill along with a whole buncha low-carb supporters on Tuesday night, then be sure to listen to the one-hour audio of it by clicking here. You'll hear yours truly and others in the low-carb community articulate our message that the low-fat monopoly has got to stop. There's no doubt in my mind that we need more open forums like this one if we are ever going to progress forward with ways to help people take on their obesity.

Okay, so there's been some good coverage along with the bad. That's certainly a change from what is generally an overwhelmingly biased anti-Atkins, anti-fat, anti-meat agenda from the mainstream media. And when I was interviewed for twenty minutes by The Baltimore Sun reporter Chris Emery on Monday about my success on the Atkins diet, I was encouraged that quite possibly he would feature a positive story about a real life major low-carb weight loss success story in his coverage of the JAMA study.

It didn't happen.

In fact, Emery chose not to use my story at all in ANY of the series of articles he wrote about the JAMA study over the past few days. He did include one of my readers from the Baltimore area named Pamela Waltos in this column covering the significance of this new research. I agreed to help him find a Baltimore low-carbers and was happy to help.

But take a look at today's column from Emery. The headline screams "Dieting: Battling the yo-yo effect" and it quickly gets into the story of a man who allegedly "failed" on a low-carb diet. Because don't you know everyone who goes on a low-carb diet like Atkins will OBVIOUSLY gain it back, right?! UGH!

This is why I am happy to see Dana Carpender stepping up to the plate to write a book about people who have succeeded on low-carb and why they did because it's as if people like me don't even exist. Yoo hoo, helllllloooo, here we are people...I lost lots of weight on a low-carb diet and have kept it off for over three years--dare I say it, LONG-TERM! GASP! How can this be?

One quote from the "failed" low-carber in the story is telling:

"Once you start cheating it's a slippery slope. You get lazy and [the weight] starts coming back."

Well DUH! That's why you have to make the low-carb diet your permanent LIFESTYLE change--one of the themes you will hear me repeat early and often here at my blog. And it is a point I made to Emery about my own experience when he asked me specifically where I came up with the idea of a lifetime commitment.

"Dr. Atkins recommends it in his books," I said. "Oh," Emery responded.

You'll notice in Emery's column today that he includes the concept of lifestyle change, but fails to truly illustrate that point with real-life examples. Why would he simply omit a major low-carb weight loss success story like mine when it drives home the very point he is trying to communicate with his column? Personally, I don't care if he used my story or not, but at least share with the readers of The Baltimore Sun that there are many examples of people doing very well over the long-term by livin' la vida low-carb. That's all.

The bottom line is this: If the Atkins diet didn't work for you, then walk over to the mirror to see the reason why. Most people who read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, embrace the concepts in that book, implement those ideas into their lifestyle, and then commit to doing those things for the rest of their life tend to do extremely well. That's how I lost 180 pounds in one year, but more importantly, how I've been able to keep the weight off ever since.

We need to get people to start caring about losing weight and getting healthy. Until that happens, all the diets and supposed lifestyle changes in the world aren't going to change a thing. If all the obesity-related diseases that have inflicted tens of millions over the past couple of decades isn't enough to wake people up to the reality of this serious problem, then what will?

That's why you will hear me say over and over again that it is the personal responsibility of people who are overweight or obese to stop making excuses for their weight problem and to start implementing strategies to make that happen. If you try something and it's just not for you, then try something else. I earnestly believe there is such a thing as "the perfect diet" and it is tailored to the individual.

The obesity problem will not go away on its own, but we can change the inevitability of this epidemic by providing people with a multiplicity of choices they can feel confident in. If and when that day comes, we may finally see more long-term compliance to a weight loss plan that REALLY works.

But why wait for that? Start livin' la vida low-carb TODAY! It may be just the lifestyle change you've been looking for. Let me know if I can help or encourage you in any way on this amazing journey.

Contact reporter Chris Emery and urge him to write a follow-up column featuring people who have experienced long-term low-carb weight loss success by e-mailing chris.emery@baltsun.com.

Stanford Researchers Confirm Atkins Diet Best For Weight Loss, Improved Health

Dr. Christopher Gardner says Atkins diet deserves a second look

Are you one of those people who STILL thinks the Atkins low-carb diet is just another dangerous fad that is a far inferior way to lose weight and improve overall health compared to the more highly-recommended, yet unsubstantiated traditional low-fat, low-calorie diets? If so, then you may be interested in the very latest research released in today's issue of the highly-respected Journal Of The American Medical Association which could very well change how all of us view the much-vilified, yet extremely effective Atkins diet.

Lead researcher Dr. Christopher D. Gardner, from the Stanford, CA-based Stanford Prevention Research Center and Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Stanford University Medical School, and his fellow researchers conducted a one-year randomized trial they entitled "A TO Z: A Comparative Weight Loss Study."

Recognizing the severity of the obesity epidemic that has become what they describe as "the single most significant nutrition-related health issue of the new millennium," Dr. Gardner wanted to know in his study if the monopolistic low-fat dietary recommendations that have been coming directly from government and health agencies for decades really were better for weight loss and improvements in various health outcomes than some of the other popular weight loss methods to come out in recent years, including the lower-carb Zone and Atkins diets.

Observing 311 women who were overweight or obese at baseline with a body mass index of 27-40, non-diabetic, pre-menopause, and willing to participate in the 12-month study, the researchers divided up the study participants into one of four diet groups:

ATKINS (20g carbs daily for 2-3 months, 50g daily thereafter)
ZONE (40-30-30 ratio of carbs to protein to fat)
LEARN (55-60% carb intake, less than 10% saturated fat)
ORNISH (No more than 10% calories from fat)

Additional recommendations for each study group regarding exercise, supplements, and other behavioral strategies for being successful on each plan as prescribed by the various diet books used were also provided to the study participants. Dr. Gardner explained to the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog that each of the study participants were also provided with eight weeks of intensive education from a nutritionist about their respective diet plan and then left on their own for the remaining ten months of the study.

While the primary outcome studied was weight loss, the researchers were also interested in some of the secondary outcomes such as differences in cholesterol, including LDL, HDL, and triglycerides, body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio, fasting insulin and glucose levels, and blood pressure.

Each of the study participants were measured for their progress on their specified diet plan at the beginning of the study, after two months, after six months, and then at the end of the 12-month study.

Interestingly, although the percentage of study participants who were able to stay on their specified diet plan was not statistically different, it was the ATKINS group that led the pack for retaining the most dieters for the duration of the study among the four study groups:

ATKINS - 88 percent
ZONE - 77 percent
LEARN - 76 percent
ORNISH - 78 percent

So, what did Dr. Gardner and his team find at the end of the study?

Weight loss among the ATKINS group was statistically higher as compared with the other diet groups, including triple the weight loss of the ZONE group, nearly twice as much weight loss as the LEARN group, and more than double the weight loss of the ORNISH group. Statistically speaking, there was very little difference in the weight loss between the ZONE, LEARN, and ORNISH groups.

While most people expected the ATKINS group to produce higher weight loss (although the infamous Dansinger study indicated there was no significant difference in weight loss after 12 months between the various diet groups), the unexpected aspect of Dr. Gardner's study is what happened to the health of the individuals who followed this dietary plan as compared to the others.

One of the frequent criticisms of the low-carbohydrate approach is the assertion that it can lead to certain health complications, including the loss of muscle mass rather than body fat (contradicted by this previous study, an increase in cholesterol (again, not an issue for people following a low-carb diet), a rise in blood pressure, and other such heart health risks (despite this study which found there were none associated with low-carb diets).

But this new study confirms most of those flailing arguments are all for naught.

The body mass index of the ATKINS group at the end of the study had been reduced by more than three times as much as the ZONE group and twice as much as the ORNISH group. At the same time, the body fat percentage loss for the ATKINS group after 12 months was three times higher than the LEARN and ZONE groups as twice as high as the ORNISH group. This echoes what previous research found regarding body fat loss on a low-carb diet.

As for cholesterol, LDL remained relatively stable among all groups except for the ORNISH group which saw a noticable drop, but it was the HDL and triglycerides numbers (which this recent study confirms is a better marker for measuring heart health anyway) that were dramatically different.

The ORNISH group saw HDL remain exactly the same after 12-months while the ZONE and LEARN groups saw equally modest increases in HDL. But it was the ATKINS group's rise in HDL that was more than double that of ZONE and LEARN while their triglycerides dipped twice as much as ORNISH and LEARN groups and seven times as much as the ZONE group.

While the waist-to-hip ratio and blood glucose levels were not statistically different among all groups (although the ATKINS group again saw a greater drop in insulin levels), blood pressure among the ATKINS group was significantly lower than all the other groups, including nearly four times lower than the ORNISH group.

This groundbreaking study was published in the March 6, 2007 issue of The Journal Of The American Medical Association.

In an exclusive interview with "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog, Dr. Gardner was quick to point out that this was a smaller study and that his research should not be misconstrued as an endorsement of the Atkins low-carb diet. However, he did say the previous rush to judgment about the low-carb nutritional approach was probably a bit premature.

"This [study] is more evidence for shifting to low-carbohydrate diets," he said.

He added that the average weight loss among the ATKINS group was only about 10 pounds each and that several of the groups had people who lost 30 pounds or more, which proved that there are multiple ways to lose weight. However, Dr. Gardner admitted there were limitations in his study that are impossible to measure, including whether the dietary changes are the key to permanent weight loss or if there are qualities about individuals that make them more prone to success.

"We need to find out what internal mechanisms are at work in people to make them successful and bottle it up somehow," he exclaimed.

He said there was a noticable drop in performance among all groups when they were left to do their respective diet on their own following the eight weeks with a nutritionist. Dr. Gardner believes the support the dieters received was a key to their success early on regardless of the plan they were using. This is proof that having a weight loss buddy could be a beneficial ingredient for people desiring weight loss.

Foreshadowing his future research on carbohydrates as it relates to obesity, Dr. Gardner wants to study whether there is a limit on the carbohydrate intake for people to consume for weight loss.

"Is there threshold on the continuum of carbohydrates consumed," he asked. "Is it below 40 grams carbohydrates, 30 grams? That's what I'd like to know."

Regarding his decision to conduct this study comparing the Atkins diet with three other higher-carb diet plans, Dr. Gardner said he feels the low-fat diet has been too heavily publicized and recommended without seeing the beneficial results to make a dent in the health and obesity crisis we now find ourselves facing.

"People have been asking about diets for years," he stated. "We think it's time to give them some answers."

Although there have been widespread concerns about what is allegedly lacking in the Atkins diet, the researchers concluded that this particular diet is just as good a place to start for people who are committed to losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle.

"These findings [in the study] have important implications for clinical practice and health care policy," the researchers remarked. "Physicians whose patients initiate a low-carbohydrate diet can be reassured that weight loss is likely to be at least as large as for any other dietary pattern and that the lipid effects are unlikely to be of immediate concern."

Convincing the medical community of this fact is now the real challenge. How much longer will they continue to ignore studies like this one while millions upon millions of people keep getting fatter and sicker than they've ever been before following the low-fat recommendations, hmmm? This is something low-carb practitioner Dr. Mary C. Vernon wondered in response to this study.

"The evidence in favor of carbohydrate restriction continues to accumulate," she wrote on her blog today. "Once again, this study quantifies what physicians using this technique to treat disease and return metabolic parameters to normal have reported over and over again. Wow."

She added that we need to stop being shocked every time the Atkins diet is confirmed by credible scientific research that it works as well as it has been proven to work.

"The surprise in today's Journal Of The American Medical Association is not that Atkins works and confers health benefits, the surprise is that it's still a surprise," Dr. Vernon expressed. "You can lead a mainstream doctor to water, but clearly you can't make him drink. Oh, wait, sorry, that's a horse."

Ironically, it was Dr. Vernon who said in my interview with her last year that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) needs to step up to the plate and fund more studies comparing the Atkins diet with the low-fat diets that unfairly dominate dietary recommendations.

Well, she and everyone else should be pleased to hear that this study was indeed underwritten with grants from the NIH, the Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan, and Human Health Service. Will this funding trend for low-carb research from our health entities continue on based on the positive response Dr. Gardner found in his study about the Atkins diet? We shall see.

I have long held the belief that the future of low-carb hinges on the research proving it is everything that those of us who support it believe it is. I guess it's not enough that I lost nearly 200 pounds on the Atkins diet in 2004 and kept it off ever since.

While low-carb weight loss success stories like mine are interesting and important in communicating the message that the Atkins diet really works for people, the real difference in our culture will come when more and more research like this one today is brought to the attention of family doctors and those who work directly with overweight and obese patients. People trust their doctors and will heed their advice about diet. Now if we can only get the healthcare community to absorb this research.

If that happens (and I believe it will at some point), then it could very well bring about the much-needed paradigm shift within the world of diet, health, and nutrition that has been needlessly dominated by what has been proven in another JAMA study last year to be the high-carb, low-fat lie for far too long. Keep the low-carb research coming because sooner or later the truth will break through. Hopefully, not before it's too late.

You can e-mail Dr. Christopher D. Gardner to thank him for his outstanding research comparing the Atkins diet with the low-fat diets by writing to cgardner@stanford.edu.

3-7-07 UPDATE: Upon reading my blog post about his study, Dr. Christopher Gardner was not at all pleased with what I had written regarding his research. It seems his disdain for low-carb diets as a long-term solution to obesity and health problems is an ever-present concern and he did not want people to misunderstand his position about the diet despite the favorable findings in his study.

Here's what he wrote:

Jimmy,

I did not particularly enjoy your blog. I do not endorse the Atkins as wholeheartedly as you do. I find the results interesting, and I do intend to follow up on them. However, I am disappointed that you included many of the interesting findings I discussed, but few of my concerns.

The line below, in particular, was a misunderstanding.....

"Is there threshold on the continuum of carbohydrates consumed," he asked. "Is it below 40 grams carbohydrates, 30 grams? That's what I'd like to know." I was referring to 40% of calories from carbohydrates, not 40 grams. Please do not allow that misunderstanding to remain as it is.

On 20, 30 or 40 grams a day there are several important vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can't be avoided. I don't believe it is healthy to go that low, and I don't believe many people can sustain a diet that low.

I would not be surprised to learn that you, with your iron will (that I truly would like to bottle) could go this low. But the average person cannot or would not and I believe it is fair to say should not go on that low a carbohydrate diet.

I'm glad it has worked for you. But I have numerous concerns about being on that kind of diet long-term, and our study was not able to address long-term concerns.

I wish you the best in your endeavors. I would prefer to not be included in your blog, or, if included, to be presented as being much more cautious about the findings and their interpretation than you have portrayed me.

Sincerely, and in the hopes of finding more ways for more people to lose and keep off weight,

Christopher Gardner

WOW, that's a rather strong reaction to what most people have e-mailed to tell me was a well-written article. But, it is what it is and Dr. Gardner is trying to keep up the that proverbial wall that many medical researchers are scared to death of tearing down--between the reality of the effectiveness of low-carb and their fantasy that it is healthy or sustainable to eat less than 50g carbs daily.

I couldn't let his e-mail go without a response:

Dr. Gardner,

THANK YOU for writing and I apologize if you felt I made it appear you were endorsing the Atkins diet with your study released in JAMA on Tuesday. I spent nearly 7 hours writing this column with painstaking details reading the full text of the study and in conducting personal research for it.

It was not my intention to mislead my readers into believing you supported low-carb as a permanent and healthy lifestyle change as many of us do. If you still have questions about the long-term implications, then certainly the door is open for you and other researchers to continue looking for the answers to those questions (many of which HAVE been answered by research in the links I provided).

Very clearly your research provides a solid basis for continuing to look at the low-carbohydrate approach as it relates not just to weight loss, but also health management. When I spoke with you about your theory for a new study, it was not made clear you were referring to the percentage of the macronutrient rather than the actual grams. Again, I apologize for that.

Feel free to contact me anytime you have any questions or concerns. My blog is about providing people with education and hope for a brighter tomorrow. That's exactly what I'll keep doing sharing the good news of livin' la vida low-carb with them. Take care and THANK YOU again for your e-mail!

Do you feel Dr. Gardner overreacted a bit in response to my column? It was never my intention to put words in his mouth, but rather share what his amazing study found--that is, that for at least one year, we can say that the Atkins/low-carb nutritional approach is at the very least just as effective for managing weight and health as any other way of eating. Why is there such vitriol opposition...STILL?!

Study: Live To Be 85 With Weight Loss, Lower Triglycerides, And Getting Married

Dr. Bradley Willcox believes he has found the secrets to living longer

We all want to live a long and healthy life, don't we? That why books like this one seem to attract people's attention. Well, this Washington Post story outlines a new study today that tells you exactly what you need to do to live to be 85 or longer. Are you interested?

Lead researcher Dr. Bradley Willcox from the independent, non-profit Honululu, Hawaii-based Pacific Health Research Institute and his team observed 5,820 Japanese-American men from the island of Oahu with an average age of 54 when the study began and they were tracked for as many as four decades (1965-2005). Their health was regularly monitored at a series of examinations by the researchers.

Dr. Willcox and his team used the following nine major health risk factors during their study to measure their impact on the longevity of the men who were being studied:

1. Being overweight with a BMI of 25 or higher
2. Having high blood sugar, a precursor to diabetes
3. Having high triglyceride levels, a precursor to heart disease
4. Having high blood pressure
5. Having low grip strength by exerting 86 pounds of pressure or less
6. Being a smoker
7. Drinking three or more alcoholic drinks daily
8. Being a high school dropout
9. Never getting married

In all, 58 percent (or 3,369) of the study participants deceased before they reached the age of 85. While the remaining 42 percent (or 2,451) of the study participants simply made it to that age, a total of 11 percent (or 655) of the original study participants were able to attain "exceptional survival" status by reaching the ripe old age of 85 years old without having any mental or physical problems to speak of, including the absence of cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, Parkinson's disease and diabetes, conditions typical of the elderly.

What the researchers found was those study participants who did not exhibit any of those nine major risk factors for disease in their 50s were 70 percent more likely of making it to 85 and a 55 percent chance of reaching that golden age free of mental or physical ailments.

On the other hand, the study participants who had six or more of those conditions when they were in their 50s only had a 22 percent chance of even living long enough to reach 85 and a mere single digit chance of making it to that coveted "exceptional survival" phase.

"It is important to be physically robust in midlife," the researchers wrote about the study. "This is consistent with theories of aging that suggest that better-built organisms last longer and that physiological reserve is an important determinant of survival."

Behavioral modification in terms of our health seems to make a difference in how long we live, Dr. Willcox explained.

"There appears to be a lot we can do about modifying our risk and increasing the odds for aging more healthfully," he said. "It's good news because it really gives you something to zero in on if we want to be healthy at older age."

The results of his study, which was paid for with grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Hawaii Community Foundation. were published in the November 15, 2006 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

With advancements in medicine and health technology these days, people are living longer than they ever have before. But that doesn't mean we should stop striving to do those things that we can to extend our lives and remain healthy for as long as possible. My wife Christine had a grandfather a few years ago who was very active all the way until his untimely death at the age of 81 due to internal bleeding in his prostate. Other than that, the man was as vibrant as any young whooper snapper half his age still working long past "retirement" age!

So our direct charge from this study is to do those things that we can to prevent the risk factors from robbing us of our life before it's our time to go. The good thing for people like me in my mid-30s is I've still got 20 years to figure it all out (although I think I've got a pretty good grasp on it now after losing close to 200 pounds the past few years thanks to my low-carb lifestyle). Others may not have that luxury, though, as they are already at or quickly approaching mid-life.

The researchers gave their own advice about what people should do.

"We have identified several potentially important risk factors for healthy survival in a large group of middle-aged men. These risk factors can be easily measured in clinical settings and are, for the most part, modifiable. This study suggests that common approaches that target multiple risk factors simultaneously, such as avoidance of smoking or hypertension, and approaches that enhance insulin sensitivity, such as maintaining a lean body weight, may improve the probability of better health at older ages. This may be especially important for men, few of whom survive to oldest-old age."

Okay, it's one thing to just say change, but HOW?! Let me attempt to answer that for each of the nine major health risk factors that Dr. Willcox and his team used in this study:

1. Being overweight with a BMI of 25 or higher

You should know my answer to this. Other than the fact that I think BMI is bunk, if you need to lose weight then you need to make up your mind you want to lose weight, find a plan that works for you, implement that plan exactly as prescribed and then keep doing it for the rest of your life. For me, livin' la vida low-carb is the only thing that has ever worked for me. This is an essential part of getting your health under control, so make this your priority above everything else.

2. Having high blood sugar, a precursor to diabetes

High blood glucose levels have been shown to have very serious consequences on your health, not the least of which is diabetes. Breaking your addiction to sugar and other refined carbohydrates will stabilize your blood sugar and keep you happy and healthy for many years to come. Your body doesn't need sugar anyway, so you can live without it.

3. Having high triglyceride levels, a precursor to heart disease

Another perk of the low-carb lifestyle is miniscule triglycerides. Before my low-carb lifestyle, my number was in the 300s. Now it's around 40-50. You can't argue with results like this!

4. Having high blood pressure

Losing weight helps with this as well as reducing stress and cutting down on sodium for people like me who are salt-sensitive.

5. Having low grip strength by exerting 86 pounds of pressure or less

Working out is a great way to keep your strength up as you seek to remain fit into your golden years. I commit to going to the gym almost every single day and I don't regret that decision one bit. I only hope to have the same vigor when I reach 50, 60, 70, and yes 85!

6. Being a smoker

My advice--DON'T DO IT! I've never seen the point of puffing something into your mouth that can lead to cancer. Stupid!

7. Drinking three or more alcoholic drinks daily

My advice again--DON'T DO THIS EITHER! While the "buzz" you get from alcohol may be fun, you are only dehydrating your body and killing brain cells with each swig. Stay smart, don't drink!

8. Being a high school dropout

Well, it goes without saying that having a good education is important for a lot of reasons because it can help you make better choices. While that is not universally true for everyone, those who finish high school, college and graduate school put themselves in a position to live comfortably enough to lead a healthy life.

9. Never getting married

This was quite an interesting, seemingly non-health-related risk factor, but I can see how it would come into play. Now that I'm in my 12th year of marriage to my beautiful bride Christine, I value the health benefit of having a mate. She's not only my lover and confidant, but she's my best friend. The struggles, the pain, the joy, and the celebrations are all shared by both of us as we have commited ourselves to God and to each other. That's something single people will never benefit from and it looks like it can have an effect on their longevity, too. What better reason to go FALL IN LOVE, eh? :D

So there you go! Get those 9 things in order and you are well on your way to living to be a healthy 85-year old! I plan on getting there as a 50-year survivor of the Atkins diet. Hee hee! We're gonna show them low-fatties yet. Long live those of us who are livin' la vida low-carb. We'll be talking about the good old days well into the future, won't we? :)