Beer and Atkins

Valid points, and I agree (because, of course, you're right). However, anything as publicized as Atkin's is going to be seen by that fraction of malleable minds (read: teens) who already have the early stages of self-image problems. This only goes to reinforce the disturbing "DIET! DIET! YOU MUST BE SKINNY!" mentality america puts forth. It IS a disgusting stereotype that stick-like is beautiful and fat is the enemy. OH FOR THE DAYS OF CHERISHED RUBINESQUE WOMEN!!!!!

If there was an "eat right and excercise, millions of people are doing it and look how healthy and long lived they are!" mass-publicized eating program, that would be different. Instead, as pointed out so eloquently by Mr. Braukuche, the Atkins diet seems to stand for gluttony without consequence.

The cost of the tax on the mentality of the young outweighs the benefit of the carb-cutting gluttonous diet that is thinning people down. Eating right and excercising are much more logical methods of weight loss (in some cases medical assistance is require for people to lose weight). The body needs carbohydrates. OK, OK, I'm sure the diet has helped LOTS of people, yay for them for being less obese, but I stand by my assertations that it is a Bad Idea to mass-publicize a diet that REALLY needs careful monitoring of proteins and a solid understanding of nutrition behind it to be safe.

ObBeer: My body needs beer carbohydrates. Rogue Chocolate Stout tonight, with a side of mandarin orange sorbet with dark chocolate chips.

fr0glet ="I think fr0glet has the market cornered in techniques for "feeling up" your frog." -AD

Yes, societal messages that encourage people to look like Calista Flockhart are troubling and detrimental.

However, telling the 70 percent of us who are overweight (I'm one of them) to get off our fat asses and get in shape is not the same thing.

And, those cherished days may have had a greater appreciation for curvy women, but a great too many women are far beyond that ideal (as are far too many men who go far beyond even, say, Jackie Gleason c. "The Honeymooners"). Those who like to point out that Marilyn Monroe was a size whatever fail to mention that sizes have changed considerably in 50 years and today's 12 is more like that era's 16 (or whatever the numbers are; I've never understood women's sizing).

It doesn't stand for that. The popular conception of it does but, surprise surprise, popular conception and reality have little to do with each other. The diet is very ungluttonous, unless I was misreading all those admonitions to eat lots of green vegetables, eat only until you're sated, do not gorge, and excercise every day.

*Every* diet needs the supervision of a doctor and careful monitoring. The vanuted low-fat, high-carb diet that's been gospel for the past couple decades would be disastrous for a diabetic, for instance.

People's bodies are different, and different diets are going to work differently for others.

Had my last beers for a bit last week while hanging out in New York. One was Rogue's Younger Bitter (or whatever it's called) on cask. Not bad, but too diacetyl-y. The Spaten Maibock, cask Jeffrey Hudson Bitter, Smuttynose barleywine (a few times over) were all much better and nice sendoffs into a month or two of beer celibacy.

-Steve

My 10-y.o. daughter is already getting that. She says some of her classmates (and not just the larger ones) are already on diets. Earlier this week she asked what "Atkins" was because a (normal-sized) classmate is on it.

They're still here. You just have to know the right people.

But that's too much work!

I find your ideas compelling. Where can I find more information about this "mothership"?

Just live your life, alright?? I am a slim person, who has beer binges. Basically it is strict rules which will screw you up. I still work out 5 days a week, no matter what. But on the weekends I can put away an amount of IPA that would literally kill some people. All I'm saying is that you CAN have your cake and eat it too, if you're ambitious enough!!!!