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The Battalion
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Page 3A • Friday, April 16,
Wars
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students, restaurants looking
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By Amber Gray
THE BATTALION
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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
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