Low-Carb Diet Research and News

M ichael R. Eades, M.D., and Mary Dan Eades, M.D., are a husband and wife medical team.

T he book's premise is that food should be used to condition your body, and that fat is a high-octane energy source.

THE GOOD
T he Eades recommend exercising and drinking lots of water.

THE BAD
T he Eades note the earliest diet book to sweep the nation was titled Bantry's Letter on Corpulence, printed in the early 1800s. According to the authors, " ...the restricted-carbohydrate diet worked like a charm for Bantry, and, if sales were any indication, many others."

D iet book sales do not necessarily indicate success at weight management. Americans spend $33 billion a year on weight-reduction programs and products, but most don't work long-term. According to the USDA Continuing Survey of Food Intakes of Individuals, the number of overweight Americans increased from 41 percent (Body Mass Index 25+) in 1977-78 to 53 percent in 1994-95.

T he Eades claim the success of restricted-carbohydrate diets is demonstrated by the sales and popularity of books including the Quick Weight Loss Diet(1967), Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution(1972) and The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet(1979). These books in hardcover and paperback have sold more than 20 million copies. "Why are they so popular? Because they work."

N o scientific, peer-reviewed journal has published any article verifying the success of any of these diets - including Protein Power. At any one time in the United States, one-third of adult women and one-fourth of adult men are on a diet of some kind. If book sales translated into success, the American population would be lean and healthy.

T he Eades mislead readers by claiming, "you would be surprised to learn that we've treated many people who have gained weight on a low-fat diet."

L ow fat does not necessarily mean fewer calories. If dieters increase their total calories by eating all the carbohydrates and protein they want, their weight gain should be no surprise.

THE UGLY
T he Eades claim, "All we can tell you is that in the almost 10 years we have been treating patients with this program, we have never had a negative outcome."

I n reality, no case studies of their patients with immediate results or two- to five-year follow-ups have been published in a scientific journal (or in their own book).

T he Eades purport that, "The actual amount of carbohydrate required by humans for health is zero."

I n truth, the health benefits of complex carbohydrates are well-documented and supported by the health community. Grain foods such as bread, bagels, tortillas, cereals and pastas are typically low in fat and include essential vitamins and minerals. Because glucose is the only form of energy the brain can use, carbohydrates are of prime importance to all of us.

T he authors define eicosanoids as: " ...a gang of at least 100 powerful hormone-like substances that control virtually all physiological action in your body."

A ccording to Ellen Coleman, M.A., R.D., M.P.H., "The belief that eicosanoids control all physiological functions (including athletic performance, health and disease) is not only unfounded, it is an appalling over-simplification of complex physiological processes." Int. J. Sports Nutr. 6:69-71, 1996.