The Atkins diet sure get a lot of attention - Researchers chew the fat on merits of the Atkins diet

Some of the nation's leading obesity researchers and nutritionists are outraged by the diet, arguing that it runs contrary to the advice of most major health organizations, which advocate a diet relatively low in saturated (animal) fat and high in complex carbohydrates (grains, vegetables). Those recommendations are based on scientific evidence that a diet rich in fruits and veggies and low in saturated fat reduces the risk of heart disease, some types of cancer and other health problems.

Still, many dieters swear by the Atkins diet. And until recently, there haven't been many studies investigating its safety and effectiveness.

As a skeptical physician, I am always happy to question the "advice of most major health organization'. I worship at the altar of data. We need to see the data - 'show me the money'.

In one new study, conducted at Duke University Medical Center and funded by a grant from the Robert C. Atkins Foundation, participants ate a very low carbohydrate diet of 25 grams a day for six months. They could eat an unlimited amount of meat and eggs, two cups of salad and one cup of low-carbohydrate vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower a day. Of the 50 patients enrolled, 80% adhered to the diet for the entire study, losing an average of 10% of their original body weight. The average weight lost was approximately 20 pounds, says Eric Westman, associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center.

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In another pilot study, obesity researchers at three universities recruited 63 people who were 30 or more pounds overweight and assigned them to one of two programs. One group was given a copy of Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution. The other group was put on a conventional diet with about 30% of calories from fat, 55% from carbohydrates and 15% from protein.

At the end of six months, those following the Atkins diet lost about 10% of their starting weight and those on the conventional diet lost about 5%. Atkins dieters also were more likely to stick with the plan than conventional dieters.

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Foster and fellow researchers are going to continue to investigate the Atkins diet with a longer-term study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. They will look at several different aspects, including whether the diet may be more useful for some people than others and how much people are able to exercise while eating a low-carb diet. They also want to investigate why some dieters seem more likely to stick with the Atkins program than a more conventional diet.

The data speak. At least in the short run Atkins works for dramatic weight loss. I am glad the the NIH is studying the diet in a longer-term study. That seems a good use of federal funds.