The Hazards of High Protein, Low Carbohydrate Diets

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The Hazards of High Protein, Low Carbohydrate Diets A young, healthy teenage girl fell to her death after following a high-protein, low carbohydrate diet for no more than two weeks. The girl, having no identified sicknesses or medical conditions, exhibited "electrolyte imbalances" along with minimal levels of potassium and calcium, which appeared to be a result of the diet according to doctors at the University of Missouri Health Science Center. These irregularities upset the "normal electrical function of her heart" causing it to stop and her to collapse ("US teen . . ."). Based on this alone, it is evident that a high protein, low carbohydrate diet is not a safe and healthy long-term weight loss program. High Protein diets are traced all the way back to the 1800s when William Banting produced a brochure including information and details surrounding the diet. He claimed the newfound diet, which consisted of meat and shockingly, sherry but no bread and very few vegetables, aided him in shedding his unwanted pounds. This is very similar to today's Atkins diet. Originally developed in the 1970s by Dr. Atkins, it, like Banting's idea, believes that carbohydrates are responsible for America's obese society (Applegate 26). Dr. Atkins claimed it was possible to change carbohydrate-burning bodies to fat burning by applying the concept of high protein and low carbohydrate eating. ("How does . . .?"). Nearly ten years later, Americans concluded "fat was . . . fattening," causing people to shift from proteins and fats to hefty serving of "fat-free and high-carbohydrate foods such as bagels and fat-free cookies." Still people continued to gain weight and in turn blamed it on carbohydrates. So again, in the nineties, the Atkins diet ... ... middle of paper ... .... * Kerr, Martha. "Atkins-Type Diet May Not Be So Bad For Cholesterol." Yahoo! News. * 19 Nov. 2002. 2 Dec. 2002 . * Leonard, Justin. "Atkins Diet: Hidden Dangers." Leonard Fitness. Com. 2 Dec. 2002 . * "The Dangers of the Atkins Diet." The Weight Loss Lab.Com. 12 Dec. 2002 . * Tresl, Jacqueline. "High Protein Diets Drawback: Stress." Internet. Broadcasting. Systems, Inc. 22 Dec. 1999. 1 Dec. 2002 . * "US teen dies after following high-protein diet." Heart Center Online. 1 Nov. 2002. 8 Dec. 2002 .

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