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Comment by radu_floricica | Hacker News Reader

Interesting article. The only question I have: Atkins diet exists for some time. If so, then why hasn't it been a wild success? I know it works very well short time, but I also know no diet, including Atkins, managed to do well long term (2+ years). Except fringe cases of people who dedicate half of their life to weight maintenance, specific diets tend to hurt more then help.

Also I'd like some specific opinion on rice. It's carb, but I haven't yet seen a fat Japanese.

Anyways, one thing is worth taking from all this: don't mix carbs with rich meals. A cake should be fine by itself, but fries with steak not so much.

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I agree. This guy's claims are flatly contradicted by world evidence. As I've posted here before, the Japanese diet derives half its calories from rice, and well over 70% from carbohydrates in general. Two generations ago, it was nearly 70% just from rice. As many know, the Japanese live longer and have fewer "life-style diseases" than anyone else.

Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan are similar, both in terms of diet and in exception life expectancy as compared to economic development. All around the world, there's a pretty consistent relationship between groups of big protein eaters and big people. Americans get more calories of protein than anybody else and are fatter than anyone else. Mexicans and British are close behind in both categories.

Furthermore, research on high vs low protein diets has been pretty conclusive: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=613745

Yes but have you seen the serving sizes in Japan? A meal there would barely count as an appetizer for your average (overweight) American.

Just think how people like me feel when visiting America and seeing "no vegetables" as an selling point for double or even triple stack whoppers.

It's overwhelming, sickening and yet fascinating all at the same time.

Obesity is at record levels in Japan.

To have the Okinawan (or Japanese) diet work for you, you'll not only have to follow it closely you'll also need to live the traditional Japanese lifestyle.

Atkins isn't the runaway success because its a particular variety of low carb diet. Its also very restrictive, primarily during the "induction" phase. If you want to see other low carb diets that may be more manageable, try South Beach or Paleo.

The low carb diets work... its just that they are very difficult to follow for most people. If you live in the US and have a fairly normal lifetyle, you will eat too much carbs unless you really go out of your way to avoid bread, rice, sodas (or just about any drink besides water), fruit, etc.

> "The problem is the carbohydrates in the diet, their effect on insulin secretion, and thus the hormonal regulation of homeostasis—the entire harmonic ensemble of the human body."

> "Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage. When insulin levels are elevated—either chronically of after a meal—we accumulate fat in our fat tissue. When insulin levels fall, we release fat from our fat tissue and use it for fuel."

These are the central ideas to weight management.

Because thte Atkins diet like all the other buy this book diets is a about them making money, not you losing weight.

Eat food, mostly plants.

Also I'd like some specific opinion on rice. It's carb, but I haven't yet seen a fat Japanese.

You've never seen a sumo match, then? :)

The latest theory has moved far from Atkins in the high-fat/paleo diet community.

Wheat (including whole wheat), sugar (which is half fructose), high fructose and Omega 6-PUFA rich processed oils are in the devil's stew.

Rice, oats, corn, potatoes -- starchy root vegetables -- seem to be fine. But that's only if you don't already have chronically elevated glucose.

Do you have some sources? I'm really curious about anything that differentiates between wheat and rice. I've know about paleo diet for some time, and I was wondering about ways to mix it with stuff like rice and sweet potato.

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