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THE DOCTOR'S QUICK WEIGHT LOSS DIET, developed by Dr. Irwin Stillman, allows only protein-rich foods like lean meat, eggs and cottage cheese. Everything else, including most fruits and vegetables, is banned; and at least eight glasses of water a day must be drunk to keep the system flushed. Stillman insists that dieters can lose from five to ten pounds a week. But weight may not be all they lose. The shortage of carbohydrates can cause excessive fat metabolism, which may be harmful.
THE GRAPEFRUIT DIET Consists of little more than eggs, bacon and grapefruit (which is supposed to dissolve body fat) and allows dieters to eat as much of these foods as they wish. Those who follow this diet supposedly lose up to ten pounds a week, but not because of any fat-fighting properties on the part of grapefruit. Most of the people who try this diet get so tired of the limited selection of foods that they simply cut down on their eating.
THE LOVER'S DIET, devised by Dr. Abraham Friedman, at least sounds like fun. He urges the overweight to "reach for a mate instead of a plate," and exercise off their excess weight through intercourse. But unless they follow Friedman's low-fat and low-carbohydrate diet as well, they are unlikely to shed many pounds. A single act of intercourse, according to Friedman, burns an average of only 200 calories.
The true worth and even the safety of most crash diets are questionable. "I'm sure they are of enormous value to their promoters," says the A.M.A.'s White. "Nutritionally, I'm not so sure." Neither are White's colleagues. But they admit that most people who faithfully follow any one of them are bound to lose at least some weight. Any such losses are usually temporary. Many crash dieters regain poundage as soon as they resume their regular eating habits.
For this reason, many doctors eschew eccentric diets and insist that their patients learn instead to eat differently for the rest of their lives. Dr. Robert Atkins, a modishly dressed Manhattan physician who operates out of a plush East Side office, believes that overweight is the result of the body's inability to metabolize carbohydrates properly. He allows his patients such dietary don'ts as mayonnaise, heavy cream, butter, steaks and lobster, but limits them to a maximum of 40 grams of carbohydrates daily. Dr. Charles Roland of the Mayo Clinic says that "despite Atkins' sweeping generalizations and exuberant confidence, his thesis rests largely on unproven assumptions."
Balanced Meals. But Atkins, who claims that more than 90% of his patients succeed in losing weight, envisions a day when even airlines will offer their passengers a choice between a regular meal and one of his "revolutionary" repasts. His patients share his confidence. One 30-year-old woman put herself into a hospital in her unsuccessful attempts to lose weight; she finally came to Atkins carrying 283 Ibs. on her 5-ft. 8-in. frame. She is now an attractive 143 Ibs. and credits Atkins for much of her success (though she has been under psychiatric care as well). "I used to be a potato-chip and Coca-Cola girl," she says. "Now I eat well-balanced meals and am never hungry."