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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 16, 2004)
■pMpapawiPvpMpNVMpi ITt! ofe «SS 1, «n icesai fa ® lf(i te ait rees Aggielife The Battalion Carb Page 3A • Friday, April 16, Wars SI lira he Atkins Diet and others have students, restaurants looking r low-carb alternatives By Amber Gray THE BATTALION coin Mary Beth George remembers the fad liquid and fasting diets of 1980s. |“1 can remember even Oprah was losing a lot of weight from the ts,” said George, a human nutrition lecturer and registered dieti- But pretty soon you saw her, like many other people, gain the \jight right back.” Today, high-protein, low-carbohydrate fad diets, such as Atkins South Beach, are sweeping across the nation as people turn to quick weight-loss programs. “People are now buying into these diets because they are telling lividuals what they want to hear,” George said. “When people are told they can eat fatty food and lose weight, of course it’s going to nd like a good idea.” Jr«The Atkins Diet has more than 20 million followers worldwide, claiming individuals will lose weight quickly and effectively by fol- , ' 'Ring its guidelines. B“You do lose weight quickly,” George said. “But people usually use these diets for short-term lengths and then regain their u ghtback, sometimes gaining even more than before.” re^.pRapid weight loss, like that promised with the high-protein, low a rb diets, can cause many risk factors such as gallstones, gout, Icess skin and malnutrition. “Since there have been no long-term or controlled studies on se diets, professionals are very concerned,” George said. “They jspect long-term effects from using these diets can be linked to art disease, cancer and a depletion of calcium in bones.” The U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute guidelines warn individuals to avoid fad diets and weight loss programs that promote fast weight loss which is more than two pounds a week. “Diets are similar to any other fad, just like jelly shoes and kan garoo shoes,” said Amy Walker, a healthcare lecturer, “They are popular for a brief time until something else comes along, then indi viduals will look back and say, T can’t believe I did that.’” Even major restaurant chains such as Subway and TGI Fridays are joining the crowd by offering menus focused around low-carb meals. “These diets are the new craze,” Walker said. “So many people are trying it, and the restaurants want to make money by creating an outlet for customers pursuing this weight loss program.” Jenny Klein, a senior marketing major, said she jumped on the Atkins bandwagon after her sister raved about it. “I hadn’t planned on dieting before my sister told me about the Atkins,” Klein said. “But with summer coming up I thought,‘why not shed a few pounds?”’ Another recent weight-loss trend is to lose weight easily with over-the-counter pills. While in theory, the main use for weight-loss drugs is the treatment of obese individuals, the drugs are not solely being used by those with serious health risks. “Everyone is looking for the magic bullet,” George said. “However, let me tell you, it doesn’t exist.” Chris Griffin • THE BATTALION Clinical weight loss studies have shown that no sustained weight loss and long-term weight control can be achieved through using weight-loss pills alone, and upon discontinuing use, the weight is virtually always gained back. According to a report in the Journal of Obesity Research, people who used diet supple ments containing ephedra only lost an extra 7.5 pounds over a six month time frame. “Trust me,” said George, “if the pills were effective I guarantee they would be coming from the major drug corporations and the insurance companies would be involved. Everyone would want a slice of the pie.” There is only one healthy way to lose the weight, Walker said. “I promote keeping a balanced diet and staying active,” she said. “You either need to lower your calorie intake or bum more calories through increased activity.” Leading experts in obesity today recommend individuals try to lose 5 to 10 percent of their body weight, while setting a realistic goal. “Healthy weight loss is generally one to two pounds per week,” See Carbs on page 4A er Ite alsht BURBERRY l o rsr D o rv Ours alone 520 University Drive East, College Station • 693-0995 iat'«yi lispM iliiWtel mm the I said Parent's Weekend Grand Opening Friday and Saturday 9:00-6:00 Sunday 12:00-5:00 Sales Information Gateway Villas is a planned unit development of 124 townhomes located off of Highway 6 and University Drive in College Station. With today’s busy lifestyle, LOCATION IS EVERYTHING!!! 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