Diet Personalities: A Comparison of Diet Plans

Jun 30, 2011
James Gibson

There was a time when Obesity was a Sign of Success - Unknown Author

Protein and carbohydrate diets and the issue of fat. A comparison.

As pointed out in Diet Personalities and Weight Loss, “If you are drawn to high protein foods such as meats, eggs, dairy, seeds, nuts and legumes, you’ll probably prefer weight-loss plans such as the Atkins and Dukan diets (and) if you are drawn to foods such as breads, pastas, potatoes, blueberries, and bananas, you’ll probably prefer food plans rich in carbohydrates,” and the South Beach diet or a derivative. But what are the pros and cons of each plan? A lot has to do with the handling of fat, particularly saturates.

World Societies and their Fat

As reported by Bradley University’s "The Body Project," “in some societies where larger bodies are valued, people try to bulk up and maintain a high body weight.” Tahiti, Nauru, Fiji, and Jamaica are cited as examples.

Being fat is very personal. Whether you want to be fat or thin for whatever reasons, however, usually depends on how much it is accepted within your society. In Jamaica it’s accepted but in America fat people, particularly women, experience fat-based discrimination. And this non-acceptance of people being overweight is growing worldwide.

Fit Sugar, reporting on a study of 700 people around the world, outlined the conclusion that “societies that traditionally value larger bodies actually had the most negative opinions about the overweight.” Hence, the increasing popularity of diet plans. Three popular ones are the Atkins, Dukan, and South Beach diets.

The Atkins Diet Plan

Doctor Robert Atkins first wrote about his diet in 1970. It is basically a high-protein, low-carbohydrates plan. There are phases:

restrictive induction: reduce carbohydrates to force the body to burn fat (ketosis)
add fibrous vegetables until the critical carbohydrate level for losing weight is reached
maintenance

The Atkins diet plan rapidly fell out of favor in 2004 in response to negative press. As reported by Every Diet, the plan, however, has been updated to include, among other things, a stress on the importance of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as peanut butter, nuts, fatty fish, and safflower oil. But there are pros and cons as outlined by Every Diet:

The pros of the new plan include the following:

Many have experienced success following the Atkins Plan.
Quick results can be experienced.
Many restaurants have adopted low-carbohydrate options on their menus.
The New Atkins has been adapted to a broader range of dieters with special dietary considerations.
Many Atkins-approved snacks are available in the grocery store (e.g. Atkins Advantage Bars)

The cons of the new plan are as follows:

One of the most controversial issues with Atkins is that it is high-fat diet. Most government health agencies recommend no more than 30% fat in our diet – yet with Atkins you can easily consume more fat than this. However, the new Atkins has lined up with this percentage and recommends healthy fats.
One must question how healthy the process of ketosis is. In the short term it may have the desired effect – but in the long term? Some suggest that certain organs may be overworked to sustain the process of ketosis.
Promotion of their own line of processed meals and snacks.

The Dukan Diet Plan

The protein-based Dukan diet, while promoted for 30 years, was officially introduced by neurologist Dr. Pierre Dukan MD in 2000. Like the Atkins Diet, there are phases:

Attack phase
Cruise phase
Consolidation phase
Stabilization phase

Dr. Oz, on his television show, had a panel of three doctors rate the diet. Following is a summation of the pros and cons as covered in the unofficial Dr. Oz Fans and in 24 Seven Post:

The suggested pros of the plan include the following:

Provides structure
Quick results can be experienced
Easy to follow, no special foods needed
Allowed to eat almost anything in certain phases
Can eat almost as much as you want

The cons of the plan are as follows:

With the last phase you still have to eat reasonably and so many Americans are used to overeating and are surrounded by temptation
People yo-yo in weight from one phase to another, and by doing this, put back vulnerable plaque in the heart
The weight going up and down increases the risk of breast cancer.
Low fat diet is hard to maintain

The SouthBeach Diet

As reported by Juliette Kellow, the South Beach diet was developed by cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, director of the Mount Sinai Cardiac Prevention Center in Miami Beach, Fl. It was officially introduced in a book in 2003. It purports to be all about eating the right carbohydrates and right fats based on the glycemic index. Foods with a low GI include pasta, pulses and porridge. When it comes to fats the diet recommends avoiding foods rich in saturates (tend to increase the level of cholesterol, a type of lipid found only in animal products) and instead suggests replacing them with heart-healthy monounsaturates like olive oil and nuts.

Like the previously mentioned diets, there are phases:

Most carbohydrates banned to give the body a complete rest from fluctuating blood sugar and insulin levels for 14 days.
Low carbohydrates reintroduced until target weight reached
Introduce an even wider variety of foods to keep weight steady

The suggested pros of the plan include the following:

encourages getting rid of junk in your diet
large weight loss in first two weeks
only requires serious will power in first two weeks
no major food groups eliminated

The cons of the plan are as follows:

extreme carbohydrate restriction in the first two weeks requires serious willpower and may create weakness
missing some key vitamins, minerals, and sources of fiber in first two weeks
some experts feel a weight loss over 2lb a week is unhealthy

Personal Experience

As a youngster I was fit, and well nourished. But by the time of my impending retirement some forty years later, I was overweight and my wife thin.

We hired a personal trainer; my wife’s goal was to gain and mine to lose weight. For close to a year we stretched to our toes and endured weight-bearing exercises with our trainer. We investigated proper nutrition before finally deciding to continue our regimen at home. This regimen also includes physical activities such as maintaining my own home, and gardening, which many people list as a reason for their longevity. I am constantly walking stairs and creating opportunities to move. In good weather, I race sailboats and play outdoor tennis.

I watch wellness markers such as my body mass index (BMI), waist size and blood chemistry. For instance, I attempt to keep my BMI (height in cm/weight in kg) between 18.5 and 24.9 and work at keeping my waist below forty inches; it is presently 34 inches. I regularly have my blood tested, particularly for triglycerides and cholesterol, heart, diabetes and prostrate specific antigen-cancer.

Despite all this preventive activity I’m painfully aware of the reality of this saying, “Eat Right. Stay Fit. Die Anyway.”

Sources:

The Body Project. Bradley University.
Dr. Pierre’s Dukan Diet. 24 Seven Post. March 9, 2011
James Gibson. A Father’s Message. Renaissance. RTO. Summer 2010.
Fat Stigma Study. Fit Sugar March 31, 2011
Atkins Diet. Every Diet.
Dukan Diet. Dr. Oz Fans May 2, 2011
Juliette Kellow. South Beach Under the Spotlight. Weight Loss Resources

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.