Can't we let Atkins rest in peace?

On NPR today I was listening to an interview with Gary Taubes, the writer of "Good Calories, Bad Calories," and cardiologist Ronald Krauss. The gist of "Good Calories" is pretty much the same as the Atkins ideology: that calories from different sources affect a person's health and weight differently, and that insulin (which is secreted in response to carbohydrates) is really what causes weight gain.

Taubes has a lot of science to back up his claims, having discussed this with many doctors and studied many cases. Basically, he says that poor science has led to the USDA and health organization recommendations on diet, and that people follow those guidelines blindly because there's a lack of another way. But it's a little scary to think about freely eating steak sauteed in butter and covered in cream sauce. It goes against everything we've been taught. And maybe that's not a reason to avoid it, but it sure looks more like something that would clog an artery than my Cheerios.

Refined carbohydrates are obviously not something the human body was built to handle. If it comes in a box, you're probably taking a chance. But once those sugars are introduced, it's hard to live happily without them. Taubes says this addiction is the reason why many people are still fat. It's not that low-carb diets don't work, but that people can't stick to them. Because they're not fun! A life without some bread or a cookie or even some freakin' Lifesavers seems set up for downfall into "To hell with your moderation! I'm going to bed with Ben AND Jerry!"

I respect Taubes for speaking out against the collective thoughts, but then I also believe guidelines are what they are for a reason. Maybe I'm naive, and maybe the federal kickback for wheat is why we're told to eat high-carb diets, but I really think that being conscious of what you eat, whether it be pasta or steak, is what really matters. Have a happy table, put some effort into your meal, and just enjoy.