Reduced-Carbohydrate Diets: No Roll in Weight Management?
Authors: Walter C. Willett
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2004)

Editorials18 May 2004Reduced-Carbohydrate Diets: No Roll in Weight Management?Walter C. Willett, MD, DrPHWalter C. Willett, MD, DrPHFrom Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-140-10-200405180-00016 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail For decades, nutritionists and dietitians have disparaged the very-low-carbohydrate Atkins diet because it is high in saturated fat and because its purported benefits had not been tested in formal studies. According to the conventional wisdom, a diet low in fat and high in starch reduces the risks for heart disease and cancer and promotes weight loss. However, these claims do not have solid evidence to support them. In large prospective studies, total fat intake does not predict cancer risk (1). 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[PMID: 14506127] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115.Disclosures: Dr. Willett served as an unpaid consultant on a grant by the Atkins Foundation, which tests a low-carbohydrate diet.Corresponding Author: Walter C. Willett, MD, DrPH, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoA Low-Carbohydrate, Ketogenic Diet versus a Low-Fat Diet To Treat Obesity and Hyperlipidemia William S. Yancy Jr. , Maren K. Olsen , John R. Guyton , Ronna P. Bakst , and Eric C. Westman The Effects of Low-Carbohydrate versus Conventional Weight Loss Diets in Severely Obese Adults: One-Year Follow-up of a Randomized Trial Linda Stern , Nayyar Iqbal , Prakash Seshadri , Kathryn L. Chicano , Denise A. Daily , Joyce McGrory , Monica Williams , Edward J. Gracely , and Frederick F. Samaha Metrics Cited ByIn vitro extraction of intra-corneal iron using reverse iontophoresis and vitamin CComparison of the effects of four commercially available weight-loss programmes on lipid-based cardiovascular risk factorsLiteraturThe influence of l-ascorbic acid on the antibacterial-toxic activity of aflatoxins on adsorbent layerLow-carbohydrate–high-protein diet and long-term survival in a general population cohortMethods for Nutrigenomics and Longevity Studies in DrosophilaDietSeparate effects of reduced carbohydrate intake and weight loss on atherogenic dyslipidemiaAcute prooxidant effects of vitamin C in EDTA chelation therapy and long-term antioxidant benefits of therapyNutritional Treatment in the Metabolic SyndromeMetabolic Effects of the Very-Low-Carbohydrate Diets: Misunderstood "Villains" of Human MetabolismGlycemic Index, Obesity, and Diabetes 18 May 2004Volume 140, Issue 10Page: 836-837KeywordsBloodCarbohydratesCholesterolDietFatsHigh density lipoproteinLow density lipoproteinOverweightRandomized trialsWeight loss ePublished: 18 May 2004 Issue Published: 18 May 2004 CopyrightCopyright © 2004 by American College of Physicians. 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