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Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution- by Dr. Robert C. Atkins, M.D.
Review by Levi Wallach, December, 2000.
This is my second review of this book. I read it a couple of years ago when its popularity had skyrocketed. At that point (really for the last 10 years up until a couple of months ago) I was an adherent of the low-fat diet. I have lost but gained back weight several times on that and so recently decided to actually TRY the Atkins diet, not just read it.
I reread the book, and though the concepts were interesting, it was very frustrating! The book is horribly organized and Atkins rambles and raves on about the evil AMA, and constantly talks about how his diet is so great because you can have as much steak, bacon and eggs as you want. Guess what, not everyone wants all of that stuff! I've heard Atkins speak on radio talk shows and he is so defensive and empassioned that you get the sense that he is completely close-minded.
As far as the diet itself, I have been following a low-carb diet which mirrors his for the past two months. I have only lost 5 lbs on the scale, but I've also been lifting weights and so I'm sure that I have lost way more than 5 lbs in body fat. More importantly, I feel more energetic and healthy than I have felt in my many years on low-fat diets! I am never hungry, never craving foods in between meals, don't need as much sleep as I used to. Generally I feel awesome!
What I would urge you to do whether you are open to low-carb diets or not is to check out OTHER books! Unfortunately Atkins is the most well known adherent of this diet, and his hostile and commercialized persona does is cause a disservice. But there are many other MUCH better books out there. In particular I would highly recommend "Protein Power" or "The Protein Power Lifeplan" by Dr.'s Michael and Mary Eades. These books are well organized even with summaries at the end of each chapter! They are level-headed, detailed in terms of the science and physiology, and refreshingly admit to not knowing all the answers and even being wrong sometimes! They also emphsize healthy choices for your carbs like veggies as opposed to cheese, something Atkins does not do at all.
I'm always dismayed reading reviews of people who vehemently put down these diets simply because they are not "politically correct." Unless you've been on such a diet yourself for at least a month or so, or know others who have been, don't spout the standard line about how these diets are dangerous fads or crazy theories. The whole idea behind fat and cholesterol being factors in causing obesity, heart disease etc. (as opposed to insulin levels as suggested by low-carb diets) is simply a hypothesis itself, and one that has never been proven despite many studies.
