Let me start off by saying that I have enormous respect for Dr. Atkins' pioneering work with nutrition. He advocated his low-carb approach despite harsh criticism from the medical establishment, which has been addicted to their drastically misinformed low-fat, low-calorie approach since the 1970s. It is no secret that I agree with the general principle that guided Dr. Atkins efforts: Carbohydrates increase the rate of insulin in the body, which in turn encourages the body to put on and store fat.

However, it is also no secret that while the bulk of Dr. Atkins' work is right on target, there are aspects of his program that fall short of helping people lose weight and permanently prevent disease. You see the Atkins Diet attempts to dish out a "one-size-fits-all" regime, with one basic program designed to meet the diverse needs of the entire population.

It is for these reasons why I am not surprised to learn that people are giving up on the Atkins diet. Two significant shortcomings of the diet include:

1. Dr. Atkins' diet won't do the trick for a diverse population, including one-third of the population who actually require a high-carb diet based on their body's unique metabolic type. You can learn your metabolic type now by taking the free type test and start eating the right —ratio of proteins, carbs and fats--for your individual type.

2. The emotional factors behind one's poor eating habits are never addressed, and the best plan in the world won't work if you can't accept the concept that you will be successful. That's why I strongly recommend learning the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), the proven energy psychology tool I use daily in my practice to address the emotional blocks that can prevent you from achieving total health and wellness.

Faulty Move: Relying on the Glycemic Index

Dr. Atkins’ new team made the same error as Dr. Agatston in the South Beach Diet in advocating the use of the glycemic index in choosing foods. In his book, Dr. Atkins says the glycemic index is "a beautiful tool" and "a highly effective system" and advocates using this tool to choose your foods not only for weight loss but also for "minimizing risk factors associated with certain diseases."

This is very misleading advice, as I have found the glycemic index to be of little value, primarily because it contains many exceptions that render it ineffective.

Fructose is a great example: Although it has a very low glycemic index and is acceptable if you follow the index standards, fructose is one of the major reasons why people are overweight. And fructose is not the only exception. Many other low-glycemic-index foods, like apple juice, chocolate and cherries, should not be eaten if your goal is to lose weight. Thus, the new “net Atkins count” diet is destined to fail, for the glycemic index is not a reliable method to lose weight nor achieve any other health-promoting state.

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