If you've read or heard media coverage that the Atkins diet has changed its stand on the consumption of fat, take note: The company has stated on its Web site that the information is not true, calling the reports inappropriate and wrong.
The reports claimed that Atkins is changing its position on the consumption of saturated fat. But it turns out the reports are false and the plan has not been modified. Atkins dieters should continue to follow the diet just as it is written in Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution.
A news update at Atkins.com confirmed that the tenets behind the Atkins plan -- officially referred to as the ANA or the Atkins Nutritional Approach -- have not changed ... neither recently nor in 30-plus years the book has been on the market.
(The principles behind the plan are to control your intake of carbs, particularly by avoiding refined sugars; and to eat a healthy balance of fat, including a variety of protein sources, such as beef, chicken or tofu.)
The coverage focused on the presence of saturated fat in the ANA. The reports implied that the plan changed to lower the amount of saturated fat allowed in Atkins dieter's meals. The reports attribute the changes to "the supposed health concerns about saturated fat's incorporation into the diet."
However, a statement on the Official Atkins Web site clearly showed that not to be the case, referring to saturated fat as a "valuable part" of the plan. The company states: "There is absolutely no scientific research to support any claims that eating red meat and saturated fat as part of your Atkins program is anything other then[sic] beneficial."
The company urged anyone who is concerned or confused about Atkins or the principles behind it to read Dr. Atkins' books rather than relying on media reports to attain information about the ANA.
Source:
Atkins Nutritionals: About Us: Recent News: Atkins Has Not Changed. 20 January 2004. <http://atkins.com/Archive/2004/1/20-407355.html>.
