Dr. Atkins had rather radical theories about the nature of weight gain as expressed in the Atkins diet. He held that saturated fats weren't as bad as people claim. Carbohydrates, found in potatoes, and breads, were the real problem. Atkins held that our obsession with fat actually worsened the problem. Carbohydrates are used to make up for the lack of fat in low fat foods. That meant people on a diet often ate foods that were worse than they normally ate.

The Atkins diet changes this. He shifts dieters' metabolism to burn body fats by cutting out carbohydrates from their diets. That's the goal of weight loss. It's not just a matter of eating less. Now it was all about what your diet can help you burn. The Atkins diet supposedly burned an extra 950 calories everyday. But the claims were not true.

Dr. Atkins also touted the positive influence this Atkins diet could have on people with type 2 diabetes. Being overweight is generally considered the major cause for type 2 diabetes. Therefore, by means of losing weight a person on the Atkins diet would be addressing their type 2 diabetes. But the Atkins diet is also low in carbohydrates, which must be avoided with type 2 diabetes regardless of caloric intake, so by means of this aspect of the diet Atkins claimed those who suffer type 2 diabetes would no longer need medication such as insulin. The jury is still out in the medical world as to the causes of type 2 diabetes. So while science agrees with Atkins that lowering intake of Carbohydrates will help with the disease, it would disagree that the step alone would remove the necessity for medicine.

So just how does this Atkins diet work? It consists of four steps or phases which are induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. The details of the induction phase are as follows.

The Induction phase is the most difficult phase of the Atkins diet. It lasts for about two weeks. During induction the dieter can consume only about 20 grams of carbohydrates on a day to day basis. The result of this phase should be ketosis; a metabolic reaction by which the body converts stored fat into fatty acids, generally prompted by a lack of glucose. Weight loss of 20 pounds over this period isn't uncommon and that's a staggering amount.

Learning the ideal carbohydrate levels for weight losing and for day to day intake after the weight loss ends are the purposes of the final three phases in the Atkins diet. Dr. Atkins himself died of complications of increased fat intake in his diet, which is something to keep in mind when choosing this diet.

The Atkins diet is a low-carbohydrate diet that was formulated by Dr. Robert Atkins. It is also known as Atkins and Atkins Nutritional Approach. Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution along with other series of books was authored by Dr. Atkins to discuss his concepts and ideas on the diet. Some of the health benefits are better memory and heart functions to name a few.

Dr. Robert Atkins formulated the Atkins diet to solve his own overweight problem. Based on a theory, overweight people ingest more carbohydrates. Since carbohydrates and fat are utilized for energy and carbohydrates are burned first, eating lesser carbohydrates means that body fat is burned in its stead.

The Atkins diet, even though has many success stories for losing weight is primarily for preventing disease, good health and maintaining weight. Further, it has four phases. The first phase is the induction phase wherein you are restricted to having only 20 grams of carbohydrates in a day. Alcoholic and caffeinated drinks and beverages are prohibited in this phase and mostly 4 ounces of meat, cheeses, 3 tablespoons of cream, 2 cups salad vegetables and 1 cup low carbohydrate vegetables is allowed. It has been reported that weight loss often occur at this stage.

The second phase of the Atkins diet is the ongoing weight loss (OWL) phase wherein 5 grams of carbohydrates is added every week to find the critical amount of carbohydrate intake that is essential for losing weight. If 4.5 kilograms or 10 pounds is reached within the target weight then the OWL phase stops.

Pre-maintenance is the phase succeeding the OWL phase where there is an increase in carbohydrate intake so that the amount of carbohydrate intake for maintaining weight is found.

The last phase of the Atkins diet is the lifetime phase. Under this phase, it is assumed that the habits achieved throughout the other phases are maintained so that you will not go back to pre-Atkins habits and weight. This phase values unprocessed food and it is a choice to go back to earlier stages if weight gain is experienced.

There are some people who are for or against the Atkins diet. It is important to see their views before embarking on the diet regimen right away.

Anti-Atkins: * Atkins is connected with renal disease, heart disease, colon cancer and osteoporosis. * Since it is a protein diet (mostly meat products) it is not vegetarian-friendly. * It is a diet low in fiber but high in cholesterol and saturated fats. * Calcium, potassium and magnesium are below the recommended daily values for the body.

Pro-Atkins: * Fat and protein can be taken in. * There is weight loss (steady and rapid). * Appetite is reduced. * Sugars and processed grains taken in are lessened. * Atkins diet is a life-time diet plan. * You can never be hungry with this diet plan. The popularity of the Atkins diet was during the years 2003 and 2004. Statistics also showed that for every 11 adults, 1 was on the Atkins diet in the peak of its popularity. But with Atkins gaining popularity, sales of carbohydrates-heavy products declined tremendously. Soft drink companies even tried their hand in low-carbohydrate products to keep up with the trend. But when Dr. Robert Atkins had a fatal injury in the head which also lead to his death in 2003, rumors circulated that he suffered from a heart condition that was caused by his weight. In the year 2005, the company Atkins Nutritional filed for bankruptcy because of poor sales.