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Alliance for Aging Research Leader in New Group
Attacking Low-Carb Diets
They want government action on low-carb claims
June 23, 2004- A new organization that includes the
Alliance for Aging Research attacking low-carb diets as unlikely to
lead to sustained long term weight loss and says they can lead to in
increase in risk for a number of life-threatening medical conditions.
At a news conference yesterday in Washington,
members of the newly formed Partnership for Essential Nutrition
announced the findings of a comprehensive review of the scientific
literature that will serve as the foundation for the activities and
advocacy efforts of the coalition. Issued as a nationwide call to
action, this review concludes that losing weight on these extreme low-carb
diets can lead to such serious health problems as kidney stress, liver
disorders and gout. These diets also increase the risk for coronary
heart disease, diabetes, stroke and several types of cancer. Moreover,
the coalition identified a number of short-term side effects from
low-carbohydrate diets that although less serious, can affect a person's
quality of life. These include severe constipation, gastrointestinal
problems, nausea, repeated headaches, difficulty in concentrating and
the loss of energy.
"Low-carbohydrate diets conflict with decades of
solid scientific research that clearly encourages us to reduce saturated
fat and boost fruit, vegetable and fiber intake," said Barbara J. Moore,
Ph.D., president and CEO of Shape Up America!, which founded the
coalition. "Restricting carbohydrates stresses vital organs and alters
brain metabolism while offering no advantages in terms of either fat
loss or long-term weight control."
Comprising 11 leading non-profit consumer,
nutrition and public health organizations, the members of the newly
formed Partnership for Essential Nutrition are: Alliance for Aging
Research, American Association of Diabetes Educators, American Institute
for Cancer Research, American Obesity Association, National Consumers
League, National Women's Health Resource Center, Pennington Biomedical
Research Center, Shape Up America!, Society for Women's Health Research,
University of California at Davis, and Yale-Griffin Prevention Research
Center.
The coalition's review also questions the
effectiveness of these extreme low-carbohydrate diets for sustained
weight loss. Summarizing recent scientific studies that find the rapid
weight loss associated with these diets is temporary and often results
in weight "snap back," the coalition voiced apprehension about the
processes by which people lose weight on these diets. Specifically, the
new group questioned the safety of diets that force the body into
"ketosis," a process that starves the brain of carbohydrates, forcing
the metabolism of protein in the muscles followed by the metabolic
breakdown of fat. Of key concern is that extreme low-carb diets produce
dehydration, which can stress the kidneys and increase the potential for
bone loss contributing to osteoporosis.
Besides raising these warnings, the Partnership for
Essential Nutrition took aim at the proliferation of competing food and
beverage products now labeled as "low-carb," "reduced carb,
"carbohydrate free, "carb aware, "carb smart and "carb countdown, none
of which are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Citing
new findings that consumers now spend an average of $85 a month on these
products, the coalition called on FDA to quickly issue an interim policy
about the use of carbohydrate claims and then enforce it. Currently,
both the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), part of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade
Bureau (ATTB) have issued interim guidelines for how manufacturers can
make carbohydrate claims about meat and poultry products and alcoholic
beverages respectively. These guidelines are meant as a stopgap measure
and will likely change once FDA issues final rules.
New Survey Shows Consequences of Low-Carb Hype
The coalition's actions come in response to new
survey data showing that the explosive growth in the popularity of
"low-carb" diets is affecting the American diet in unfortunate ways.
Conducted by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC), this survey of 1,017
adult Americans reveals that:
One in five (19 percent) adults who are trying to
lose weight are doing so primarily by reducing the amount of
carbohydrates they consume;
Compared to other Americans trying to lose weight,
many of those following low- carb diets are making poor dietary choices.
Of special concern, 50 percent are increasing their consumption of
steak, 30 percent are eating more bacon and 43 percent are consuming
less fruit;
The hype over low-carb foods is also affecting the
rest of the population, many of whom are now consuming less fruits,
vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Compared to the
five servings a day of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables recommended by
the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the survey finds 68 percent now eat
two or less servings of fruit a day and 63 percent consume two or less
servings of vegetables. Moreover, 71 percent of the public consumes less
than the three recommended daily servings of low-fat dairy products
while 15 percent say they have cut out dairy products all together.
Compounding these findings, the survey reveals that
many consumers are being misled into believing that extreme low-carb
diets are healthy and that carbohydrates, not calories, are what
contributes to weight gain and loss. According to the survey, 47 percent
of Americans now believe that low-carb diets create weight loss without
cutting calories, a view that the overwhelming number of credible
scientific studies refutes. Equally troubling, only 21 percent of
Americans know that low-carb diets are not recommended for people with
diabetes, when in fact, the American Diabetes Association along with all
the leading nutrition and public health groups recommend that for
optimal health as well as weight loss, people should consume a diet that
includes a variety of foods primarily composed of carbohydrates, and
especially fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.
At the same time, the survey finds very limited
understanding of the amount of carbohydrates needed each day for good
health. Although the Institute of Medicine (part of the National Academy
of Sciences) issued a recommendation that children and adults get a
minimum of 130 grams of carbohydrate daily, only 19 percent of those
surveyed knew this fact. Instead 51 percent believe that adults need
significantly less, while 21 percent have no idea. Only 10 percent
believe that adults need more.
New Initiative Focuses on Importance of Varied Diet
Including Carbohydrates
To guide weight-conscious consumers who may be
tempted by the promises of low-carb diets, the Partnership for Essential
Nutrition will use multiple information channels to reach the public
with specific information about what carbohydrates are and what can
happen when people don't get enough. The goal will be to raise awareness
that carbohydrates contain essential nutrients that provide fuel for the
brain and muscles, contain the fiber needed for proper gut function,
help to control body weight and have been demonstrated through numerous
scientific studies to lower the risk for certain cancers, stroke, heart
disease and high blood pressure.
To drive home these messages, the coalition will
convey solutions-oriented information, including a series of television
and print public service advertisements and a new Web site --
www.essentialnutrition.org. Of special significance is a new :30
television public service announcement that will air on television
stations later this summer and fall. Produced by Marriner Marketing
Communications of Columbia, Maryland, the spot tells consumers "Losing
weight should make you healthier...Get there in a healthy way."
The Partnership for Essential Nutrition is a
broad-based group of non-profit consumer, nutrition and public health
organizations formed in 2004 to promote programs, policies and research
that will advance public understanding about the essentials of a
nutritionally balanced diet. Dedicated to providing guidance regarding
the important contribution that all three macronutrients --
carbohydrates, protein and fat -- play in promoting good health and
successful weight loss, the coalition was organized by Shape Up
America!, which raised the funds to develop and implement this
educational campaign.
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