Doctor Atkins claimed there are two main unrecognized factors about Western eating habits arguing that first, the main cause of obesity is eating refined carbohydrates, particularly sugar, flour, and high-fructose corn syrups and second, saturated fat is overrated as a nutritional problem, and that only trans fats from sources such as hydrogenated oils need to be avoided.

Consequently, Dr. Atkins rejects the idea of the food pyramid, asserting instead that the tremendous increase in refined carbohydrates is responsible for the rise in metabolic disorders of the 20th century, and that the focus on the detrimental effects of dietary fat has actually contributed to the obesity problem by increasing the proportion of insulin-inducing foods in the diet.

While most of the emphasis in Atkins is on the diet, nutritional supplements and exercise are considered equally important elements. The Atkins Diet promises that not only will you lose weight -- and not be hungry, despite the fact that you're on low-carbohydrate diet, but you'll also be on the road to better heart health and memory function, as well as other wellness benefits.

Steak with Bearnaise sauce, eggs and bacon, cheddar cheese omelets, Roquefort dressing and silky smooth avocado cream soup made with real cream? It almost sounds too good to be true! The Atkins Diet gained widespread popularity in 2003 and 2004. At the height of its popularity, one in eleven North-American adults was on the diet. This large following was even blamed for large declines in the sales of carb-heavy foods like pasta and rice.

All things considered, this diet is great for healthy adults as it leaves you enough room for variation and it's great for people with busy lives or for those who have to eat out very often. But it's not as free of problems as it may seem: too high protein diets are not suited for everybody, so be sure you ask your doctor's advice before you start dieting. Oh, and it is really expensive.

High-protein diets are generally well tolerated by healthy adults. But a dramatic increase in protein-rich foods may be dangerous for people with liver or kidney disease because they lack the ability to get rid of the waste products of protein metabolism. Although high-protein diets generally aren't harmful, they may increase the risk of kidney stones and osteoporosis.

High-protein diets may also limit other healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. In addition, many high-protein foods - such as meat, milk, cheese and eggs - are also high in fat and cholesterol. So choose your protein sources wisely. Good choices include fish, beans, lentils and low-fat dairy products.

An analysis conducted by Forbes magazine found that the Atkins Nutritional Approach (the boxed retail food product created by Atkins to facilitate the Atkins Diet) is one of the five most expensive diet plans of the top ten eating plans analyzed by Forbes. The boxed Atkins Diet forces the user to pay an 80% premium over average American food expenses.