Don't believe the hype about low-carb diets being bad

Date published: 4/30/2004

I have read several articles in the past few weeks in this paper and in The Washington Post discussing the low-carbohydrate diets. Invariably, these diets are characterized as fads. Experts are quoted stating such wisdom as "a calorie is a calorie, no matter its source," or "people on this diet are really eating fewer calories" and "it's not healthy."

The low-carb way of eating is not magic; it is backed by science. Michel Montignac, a French pharmaceutical executive, wrote a marvelous book, "Dine Out and Lose Weight," which defines the chemistry involved. At the risk of oversimplification, the theory is: If you don't eat sugar or foods easily converted to sugar, you avoid insulin spikes; and, if you keep your insulin levels low, your body is in a fat-burning, not a fat-storage mode. That's it! It's not what you eat, but what you store that counts.

For the record, a calorie is a measure of heat, not weight. The underlying assumption of all those "experts" is that you burn (oxidize) or store everything you eat. If this assumption were correct, we wouldn't have to buy toilet paper.

Hang in there, low-carb dieters. The proof of the Atkins/Montignac theory is that it works. Millions have found this out for themselves without any support or encouragement.

Now there are some products in the market and restaurants that make it easier. Truth will eventually prevail in this debate.

Bert T. Fant

Spotsylvania

Date published: 4/30/2004