L.A.Times-Atkins Vindication?

[BizBee]

The front page of the L.A. Times today, Wednesday Feb. 8th 2006 has an article entitled Eating Lean Doesn't Cut Risk . It states "In the largest study of its kind, a low-fat diet didn't cut heart disease or cancer in women". The article cites a study by Walter Willett (whose research I believe is cited in the Atkins books). Study also showed that a low-fat diet alone did not result in weight loss either--at least in women. The 415 million dollar study followed 50,000 women for as many as 13 years. ""Basically, the low-fat, high-starch diets completely struck out," said Dr. Walter Willet of the Harvard School of Public Health, whose own smaller studies have shown similar results. "This is....the end of the low-fat era"". Article goes on to say that these results will be published today in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. (for those who need proof that low-fat isn't necessarily healthier) Unfortunately the end of the article says the study ultimately doesn't vindicate Atkins because..."it also found no harm from the accompanying increased consumption of carbohydrates-grains, starches, and sugars." ( My experience tells me otherwise, but...)

At least this is something I can show my doctor and others when they tell me how dangerous Atkins is.

(Sorry guys, the study only followed women!)

[penniedo]

That same article was on the front page of my local paper across the country in Albany NY. I was so excited when I read the headline, thinking they might give some credibility to the Atkins WOE but of course they managed to avoid it altogether. Disappointing isn't it when you want everyone to know just how good they could have it??!!

[ttdriver]

I *knew* Dean Ornish an idiot!

Betty

[Labarum]

Is the article available online?

[BizBee]

Labarum--Yes--I got online and it is free if you register (also free). Go to latimes.com then look under "Nation". Article is "Eating Lean doesn't Cut Risk". You can actually read the first page, but have to register for the rest of the article. Hope you find it as interesting as I did.

[not2late]

I have the links to the full article of the breast cancer and low fat diet study and the abstracts of the heart disease and colon cancer studies in the "Health Chat" forum.

[Labarum]

Got the lot without registering - maybe with an IP address outside USA they aren't interested in your address - no marketing data value.

[Carrieh]

I was also very excited to hear about the latest study on the failure of the low fat diet to provide any sort of benefit as far as preventing heart disease, breast or colon cancer, or even in helping in weight loss! Could it have been any clearer??? And yet at the end of the report on our news, they interviewed a local doctor who said that the study really didn't prove anything new and that the low fat diet was still the healthiest way to eat!!!!

[didy]

Someday they will absolutely prove this is the way everyone should have been eating all along, and the people's noses we will want to rub in it, will be dead from their low fat "healthy" eating.
didy