Negative Effects of the Atkins Diet

896 Words2 Pages

Negative Effects of the Atkins Diet

Countless Americans have been purchasing products about the Atkins Diet

without being aware of its side effects. Common arguments about the

Atkins diet is it greatly affects a persons health, one major disease

that the Atkins diet has been blamed of is heart disease as well as heart

attacks. Organizations such as the American Heart Association and the

American Dietetic Association have been criticizing the Atkins Diet on

its unhealthy way of losing weight. Other side effects such as

headaches, constipation, bad breath, muscle cramps and more has also

been added to the ever growing effects that Atkins diet can cause to a

dieter. Another increasing argument that is against the Atkins Diet is

that it affects a dieter’s mental health, causing the dieter to feel

grumpy, tired, restless and apathetic.

The Atkins Diet has been known not to limit dieter’s intake on proteins

and fats which made numerous health organizations and medical

professionals criticize it. With its focus on fatty foods and meats which

is high in saturated fat it is believed to increase blood cholesterol

levels and may even lead to heart attack. On the Atkins first phase

(induction phase), a dieter is only allowed 20 net grams of carbohydrates

per day, this leads to not having enough source of calcium or vitamin D

that researchers say may play a role in illness such as heart disease and

diabetes. Although Dr. Atkins says to take a multivitamin while on the

diet, the formula contains no calcium and too little vitamin D.

Organizations that are against the Atkins Diet such as the American

Heart Association sets a limit that only 30% of one’s daily calories

should come fro...

... middle of paper ...

...s Diet is not

healthy for an individual because it causes more harm than good. It is

true that the Atkins Diet can make a person lose weight, but on ways that

seem to be all wrong. Dieters should consider in finding ways to lose

weight in the safest way possible and not endanger one’s own life. The

Atkins Diet is certainly not safe for dieters because it causes multiple

side effects that can put a person’s physical and emotional state at

risk.

Work Cited

Kennedy, Sophie. “The Atkins Diet: To Good to be True?” Online posting.

Vanderbilt

University, Psychology Department. 14 Oct. 2004

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/TheAtki

nsDiet.ht

m>.

Moss, Lindsay. “Atkins Diet Causes Mood Swings and Depression.” Atkins

Diet 3

March 2004 < http://www.atkins-diet.cc/Article46.phtml>.

Open Document