Results of a recent survey suggest that more than one in four British doctors would advise their patients to stay fat rather than go on the controversial Atkins diet. Medical website Onmedica found that one in ten family doctors had tried the diet themselves and that a third would recommend Atkins in certain circumstances. However, 29% of those surveyed said that they would rather their patient remained obese than try the Atkins diet. Those in opposition say that they cannot recommend Atkins because of the long-term effect it has on cholesterol levels, the impact it has on the kidneys and liver, and the possibility of mineral deficiencies. At present, there is no firm evidence to suggest that the Atkins diet is actually detrimental to health, whereas there is an abundance of evidence to show how harmful obesity is. A spokeswoman for Atkins Nutritionals, the company that markets the diet in the UK, said that advising an obese patient to avoid the Atkins diet was “irresponsible” and “contradicts their duty to society.”
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 13th October 2003.
