High-fat Diet vs. Low-fat Diet Debated

      DENVER -- It was high-fat vs. low-fat in the debate between two heavyweights in the diet-book world.

      A two-hour debate between Dr. Robert C. Atkins and Dr. Dean Ornish brought a standing-room- only crowd Thursday to the American Dietetic Association food and nutrition conference in Denver.

      Atkins, author of "Dr. Atkins'' New Diet Revolution," has promoted a high-fat, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet for weight loss for more than three decades. He says his diet lowers the risk of heart disease and diabetes and helps people lose weight fast without feeling deprived.

      "I''m really happy to be here. Not quite as happy as Daniel was in the lion''s den," Atkins said, acknowledging that the audience, mostly registered dietitians, have been trained to disagree with his diet.

      His opponent is at the other end of the extremes of diets. Ornish, author of "Eat More, Weigh Less," promotes a very low-fat diet in which followers eat legumes, fruits, vegetables, grains and nonfat dairy products until they are full. The diet, which he developed for heart patients, eliminates meats, oils and sugar. It has been shown to reverse heart disease without drugs or surgery.

      The ebullient Atkins had 20 minutes to promote his diet, which allows for meat, eggs, fish and cheese, but limits fruits and vegetables. He said that he wasn''t there to debate, but he has "the desire to help people find solutions to health problems that compromise their lives--obesity and diabetes."

      The key to his diet, he said, is to change the body''s metabolism so that it burns fat instead of the glucose that comes from eating carbohydrates.

      He claims his diet is physically satisfying and suppresses hunger, and followers note more energy, less need for sleep and have increased capacity for exercise. And unlike other diets, "it is so enjoyable, no one has any intention of eating any other way." he said.

      When it was his turn, Ornish touted the heart benefits of his diet. "A plant-based diet is more healthy than a meat-based diet, which is higher in cholesterol, saturated fat and oxidants," he said, noting that heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States.

      In fact, he said, studies show that within hours after a high-fat meal, blood flow is reduced.

      But a plant-based diet, which has been the typical diet for many cultures for thousands of years, has the advantage of allowing the dieter to eat more food and feel more satisfied, he said.

      Ornish was quick to challenge Atkins'' claims:

      For example, he acknowledged that many people lose weight on the Atkins diet, "but at the price of mortgaging their health," he said. Such diets, he said, are based on a half-truth, on a lack of science. They are high in disease-causing substances and low in disease- preventing substances, Ornish charged.

      Atkins argued that his diet lowers blood sugar and triglyceride (fat) levels and increases HDL (good cholesterol) levels, and he pointed out that those following the Ornish plan have lowered levels of HDL.

      That''s right, but HDL returns to healthful levels near the end of long-term studies, Ornish said, noting that Atkins does not conduct long-term studies of his diet plan.

      The third panelist, Eileen Kennedy, an undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, discussed results of the government''s first-stage study of the health benefits and effectiveness of existing diet plans.

      The government found, for one thing, that weight loss is independent of diet composition; it is a matter of reducing calorie intake, she said.

      So far, the USDA has been looking at the existing literature on diets, which often aren''t done under scientific settings, so the agency plans to conduct scientific studies on popular diets.

      Taking off weight is one thing, but keeping it off is another, Kennedy pointed out. A data bank of successful dieters at the National Weight Registry shows that most did it through a low- calorie, low-fat diet, monitoring their own progress, with at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day.

      "I have not seen any peer-reviewed studies showing low- carbohydrate, high-protein diets sustain weight loss," Kennedy said.

      During a news conference after the debate, an audience member asked Atkins if it is true that high-protein diets stress the kidneys.

      "There is no evidence ever published on problems related to kidney function (connected to his diet)," Atkins replied.

      "You''ve sold 30 million books," Ornish countered. "First do the research, then write the books."

     

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