Diets, like clothes, have their fashions

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33433, 15 January 1974, Page 6

Diets, like clothes, have their fashions

'By

BEV. BENNETT

of the "Chicago Sun-Times," through N.Z.P.A.)

CHICAGO

Diets are like fashion, changing from year to year and being revived at regular intervals. As with the latest fashion style, people embrace 1 the newest diet whether or not it suits them. One year it s the "drinking | j man's diet," then it’s Still- ■ man then it’s Atkins. And if' i the diets all do what they: I promise, why do the people I go from one diet to another,! | losing. then regaining, • . weight? Partly because some diets ( are so limited that people crave for a change in food and tend to go on binges.. However, limited-foods diets) also lead to quick weight losses, a psychological bonus J to those with a lot to lose. ' j Here are some popular diets,, I with pros and cons on each.! j The Stillman diet turned) 1 1 many people to a rediscovery of water as a beverage. 1 Essentially the diet permits I lean meats and poultry, lean fish and seafood, eggs and low-fat cheeses in any amounts, plus at least eight glasses of water a day. The advantage of the diet is that results show quickly.

Because of the monotony of the limited choicft, you] may decrease your calory in-I take even though you’re. allowed all the protein you; want. VITAMIN PILLS The diet’s monotony is its [ disadvantage. Because of a. metabolic change. youri 'breath will have an off-odour,' and most important, if you have anv history of kidney or; , liver disease or gout, this diet can be dangerous. Vitamin! ’pills are necessary since the' diet does not supply alii nutrients. The Atkins diet is similar] I to Stillman’s in advocating ! very low carbohydrate intake.. • However, it does allow a lot ' of fats in the diet. The diet begins with a 'week of no-carbohydrate i I meals, without a calorie' limitation. Mayonnaise. Hol-! ilandaise sauce and butter! I soften the agony. After a 'week, a small amount of carbohydrates can be added. The idea is to remain in a [state of ketosis (in which (fragments of fat, called; !ketones, are plentiful in the] blood and excreted through] the kidney). You can check for the pre- 1 sence of ketones by testing! urine with specially treated paper. If ketones are in the urine, the paper will turn purple and according to Atkins, your fat is melting awav. RICH FOODS The advantage of the diet! is that you’ll be able to enjoy rich foods such as whipped cream and sauces.; Since carbohydrates are; Timited, there will probably! still be a reduction in! calories. The disadvantages are ! many: the diet is high ini . saturated fats and cholesterol! and probably hazardous to! i those with heart problems, i It is nutritionally unibalanced. The state of ketosis tis unhealthy, and for diabetics 1 extremely so. Pregnant [women can cause brain damage to the foetus by pursuing the diet. This diet, with its ritual of urine testing is the least inconvenient. Mr M. Yudkin, who! pratises medicine in Britain, is a proponent of a modified 'low'-carbohydrate diet. He may allow a potato at lunch, lean meat as an entree, but no bread or butter. Sugar is jthe greatest evil in the diet, according to Yudkin. VARIETY OF FRUIT The diet has the advantage (of providing a wide choice 'of food, and is realistic in limiting caloric as well as carbohvdrate intake. The recommended carbohydrate intake is between 30 and 60 grammes, enough to provide for a variety of fruits and vegetables. Some people drop their diets when faced with the bother of having to count calories and carbohydrates, so this could be a disadvantage. There is also a large initial weight loss because of water loss, then a levelling off for days or weeks, which can frustrate dieters. A contrast to all the above low-carbohydrate diets is the Duke University rice diet, which offers unsalted boiled white rice and non calorie beverages for dieters. The advantage of the diet, created by a doctor at Duke University, Chicago, is its simplicity. Because of the tastelessness ■ of the rice, most people eat less than permitted. The diet is a rigid and a nutritionally unbalanced one. It is meant to be taken under close scrutiny j while residing at the Duke,

(University Hospital. People | are not advised to try this 'diet on their own. SUPPORT OF GROUP Some people need group; support to sustain a long-; term diet. Weight-Watchers j provides this support . at! (weekly meetings with fellow; 'dieters. Instead of counting, calories or carbohydrates.) people are given a list of' j permitted foods (with; (amounts specified) and for-' [bidden ones. The biggest plus for the! diet is that it offers psycho-' (logical incentive. Those who; ■ lose weight are applauded at! [meetings. Recipes are ex-j [changed, giving dieters a! greater range of menus. The; diet can fit any occasion,' whether dining at home or at [a restaurant. A minus is the diet’s! (rigidity. A true weight-] 'watcher will never touch; alcoholic beverages, corn,] hot sauce or sardines, all [ among the list of “never,' never” foods. I Of course, there is always (the formula diet which com(panies design in liquid or (solid (usually cooked) form.; ! Dieters drink the prescribed ! (number of cans (or eat the! prescribed number of cookies) | a day. The advantage is that the formula is nutritionally! balanced and low enough in 1 calories so that people do; loose weight. It saves the busy dieter shopping, cooking and cleaning time. NO BULK As with many diets,; (monotony is the chief dis-! advantage of this diet, when) [used for a long time. The! 'formula provides no bulk and! (constipation is a common! [problem. Despite any disadvantages! of a given diet, people will) choose the one which most! interests them. Theodore Berland, a Chi-j ; cago science writer, dis-; ’ covered this when he began) researching diets for the! [ book, “Rating the Diets.” 1 “People are used to eating; pall they want and can’t accept the limitations of a diet.” said Mr Berland. He cited this as a reason for the appeal of diets, such! I as Dr Atkins’s or Dr Still- , man’s, which promise that hunger will not be a problem. Safety and effectiveness; ! on the long haul were im-i portant criteria in Borland's evaluations. Along with labelling diets; ,as sound or unsound, Ber- 1 (Hand recommends every; ' dieter begin with a physical' ' examination to show whetherj the body can take a sudden ['change in diet, as would ■ occur with the Stillman or ' Atkins diet, if chosen.