Review on "Atkins Diabetes Revolution: The Groundbreaking Approach to Preventing and Controlling Type 2 Diabetes" by Mary C. Vernon and Jacqueline A. Eberstein

Before beginning the review of this book, we had no particular opinion about the role of low carbohydrate diets in diabetes. In order to write a fair and unbiased review, we have done a rather extensive search on the subject. One of the most disturbing findings of our search is the amount of hostility towards low carbohydrate diets that is on the web and in the scientific literature. We found several sites that present no scientific arguments but are, rather, full of ad hominem attacks. This was particularly disturbing in that we are in the midst of a growing epidemic of obesity and diabetes with very alarming figures and projections from all over the world. Any intervention that has the potential for helping curb this dangerous epidemic which claims thousands of lives every day should be looked at with a great deal of objectivity.The low carbohydrate approach, in fact, is not new and was used in England more than a century ago, made popular by William Harvey [1], an ENT surgeon. He prescribed a low carbohydrate diet for William Banting, an obese carpenter who had been having a great difficulty losing weight. Banting was able to lose weight and as a service, he published in 1863 a small booklet entitled Letter on Corpulence Addressed to the Public [2], the first book to be published on obesity and one which popularized low carbohydrate diets. He has been called "Father of low carbohydrate diets" and was honored by his name being included in the dictionary as the verb "to bant" meaning "to diet". The low carbohydrate diet also been called a "Harvey-Banting diet" after the names of these pioneer. Since then, it has been in and out of fashion with different versions and names but with the same underlying concept, most recently popularized by the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins.The Atkins Diabetes Revolution [3] plan is similar to the Atkins weight loss strategy: four levels of carbohydrate restriction are instituted. The induction phase restricts dieters to 20 g of carbohydr