The Atkins Diet, Essay Example

The Atkins Diet is a popular weight loss program that focuses on the use of protein as the primary source of body energy. This program is ideal for individuals who regularly consume meat as a part of their daily diet and are willing to cut out other sources of energy, such as carbohydrates. There are four phases of the diet that individuals must follow in order to maximize weight loss, although the induction phase and the ongoing weight loss phase are the primary high protein steps. In the induction phase, which is the first two weeks of the diet, carbohydrate intake is limited to 20 grams daily, and a majority of these carbohydrates must come from salad vegetables (Atkins, 2000). Allowed foods include 4 to 6 ounces(approximately 113 to 170 grams) of meat, fish, and eggs, and up to 4 ounces of cheese is permitted daily. The ongoing weight loss phase increases the carbohydrate intake permitted weekly by 5 net grams, while the permitted protein levels remain constant from the previous phase.

The Atkins diet works primarily by switching the body’s metabolism from using glucose as energy to ketosis, in which stored body fat is converted to energy (Curry, 1989). There is currently much debate over whether this diet is effective and scientific studies have not reached consensus on this matter. A major argument against the diet is the belief that it is essential to consume a balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins from food, rather than maximizing the intake of one and minimizing the intake of another. I agree with this opinion because although the Atkins Diet may confer weight loss, they are encouraging an overdose of protein consumption. At the same time, minimizing carbohydrates is not healthy because it is an important biologic macromolecule that is needed to build up body components.

Although there is controversy over how much protein an individual should consume on a daily basis, a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association cites that the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for those 18 years of age and older is 0.8 g of protein per kilogram body weight per day. Therefore, assuming that an individual weighs 55 kilograms, he or she will need to consume 44 grams of protein daily. Although the Atkins Diet argues that it is not a high protein diet, it can be considered one because it requires between 113 to 170 grams of daily protein consumption. This is approximately 3 to 4 times the amount of protein that an individual weighing 120 pounds should consume in a day. The amount of protein recommended by the Atkins Diet is even high for a 200 pound individual, which is around the weight of a person that would reasonably require the Atkins Diet for weight loss. A 200 pound individual is expected to consume only 72 grams of protein daily. Therefore, for a person to be to intake the proper amount of daily recommended protein while on the Atkins diet, he or she would need to weigh approximately 375 pounds.

The Atkins Diet recommends that individuals eat large quantities of meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, fowl, or eggs, totaling 113 to 170 grams of protein. My own diet would not allow me to accomplish this, because I eat proteins from non-animal sources in addition to animal sources. For example, I eat a lot of avocado, beans, and nuts in addition to meat. Since I am of average weight, it is impossible for me to eat large quantities of proteins without gaining weight. Therefore, I consume the average protein consumption expected for someone of my weight. From a nutritional standpoint, it makes sense that someone would begin a high protein diet in order to gain muscle mass or to lose weight. However, this is detrimental to their health because in doing so, they are not gaining a well-balanced diet. It is essential to intake energy from all sources in order to feel fully awake and capable of completing daily tasks.

References

Atkins, RC (2000). Dr. Atkins’ Age-Defying Diet Revolution: A Powerful New Dietary Defense Against Aging. Saint Martin’s Press, LLC.

Curry DL. (1989). Effects of Mannose and Fructose on the Synthesis and Secretion of Insulin. Pancreas,4(1): 2–9