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> However, this is not a healthy way to lose weight in the long term.
> Diets which allow unlimited fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol (as
> nearly all low carb diets do) may lead to any one of many
> cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Atkins himself experienced cardiac arrest
> in 2002. Further, the body requires complex carbohydrates, simple
> carbohydrates and vitamins and minerals to function effectively
> and sustain life

Go read "Good Calories Bad Calories". There is there is little evidence to link low-carb (not no carb diets) any of the diseases of western excess. Indeed, people on low carb diets have seen the LDL lower and HDL raise which is counter to the bankrupt recommendations of the AHA from the 50's onwards.

Dr Atkins outlined a way of using ketosis to lose weight some decades ago. He was kinda resting, defeated almost by the Surgeon General and the AHA up to the turn of the millennia. Gary Taubes, in a precursor to his ultimate tome on the entire history of science/health in the west, penned the an article for the New York Times - "What if it had all been a big fat lie". Atkins' diet got a second life. Dr Atkins himself may not have been on the diet when he died, or indeed even in the intervening years.

Gary Taubes back filled the objective history of the carbs in the American diet. From memory, it was 10 grams per American per day in 1910, and is now in excess of 100 grams.

There is a particularly interesting section of his book that details a previous study on calorie restriction, and the measurement of the hunger claims and the thoughts of those under the study. Some suffered long term effects of calorie restriction. I'll follow up with an excerpt.

Vitamins? It turns out that the Scurvy allegations that the sailors on English galleons experienced all of a sudden, were because of a switch from salted meat (in barels) to processed starches (in barrels). This was effected to allow for longer more effective sea campaigns. The kicker ? Red meat has lashings of vitamin C. Lemons/Oranges as supplies for such sea farers was to allow the continued use of starches as the primary food source. Unfortunately we have a myth that lasts today suggesting that fruit/veg are the only ways to get Vitamin C.

Thus we have many college educated people engaged in long-term low carb (not no carb) diets now, as a life choice. They are maintaining their weight, or losing it if they need to. None of their diets are represented in the study cited in this page, they are all off the bottom of the scale.

Lastly, and by no means a study of appropriate size, check out the finger-tip pushups of Jack La Lanne in his 90's - a celebrated meat eater. Contrast to the hobbled form of a 100 year old Ancel Keys the architect of the food pyramid (carbs good, fat/protein bad) from the 1950's and extinguisher of any counter studies that were commissioned during his decades in effective power.

Just because low/slow carbs is new to you, does not mean you have to do the knee-jerk AHA sponsored response that and entire generation has been conditioned to give. Educate yourself. Start with Good Calories Bad Calories.