Failure to accurately assess risk keeps people locked in all kinds of unhealthy situations including poor eating and exercise habits (lifestyle), relationships and jobs. Sometimes people are just afraid to step out and make a change. They see "risk" in making a change when REAL risk comes from NOT making a change. From my perspective, living with stress, unhappiness and frustration of indecision and poor health is greatest risk of all, and one that is definitely not worth taking!

Accessing "risk" is nothing more than collecting information, weighing alternatives and then making appropriate decisions based on information.

Some risks to our health are more "real" than others. For example, it is common knowledge that obesity is associated with a wide variety of health problems. On other hand, there are some health risks that are so remote we rarely think about them. On a practical level, eating highly processed foods and avoiding a daily dose of fresh fruits and vegetables is rarely considered serious. But, as too many have already discovered, long range consequences of this practice are real and devastating.

Failure to accurately assess risk limits us in many ways. We imagine "risk" of talking with our children about drugs, dating or sex and we put off having "talk," even though risks of NOT talking are infinitely greater. Fear of flying and public speaking are two more "risks" affecting millions of people. But practically speaking, these fears are unfounded. People ride in cars every day, even though cars are far more dangerous than commercial aircraft! It's a failure to accurately assess risk, and it limits our health, prosperity and pleasure in life.

Whether it's Atkins, South Beach or some other low-carb plan, as many as 30 million Americans are following a low-carb diet.

Advocates contend that high amount of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. Critics, on other hand, attribute obesity and related health problems to over-consumption of calories from any source, and lack of physical activity. Critics also express concern that lack of grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals.

Any diet, weather low or high in carbohydrate, can produce significant weight loss during initial stages of diet. But remember, key to successful dieting is in being able to lose weight permanently. Put another way, what does scale show a year after going off diet?

Let's see if we can debunk some of mystery about low-carb diets. Below, is a listing of some relevant points taken from recent studies and scientific literature. Please note there may be insufficient information available to answer all questions.

- Differences Between Low-Carb Diets

There are many popular diets designed to lower carbohydrate consumption. Reducing total carbohydrate in diet means that protein and fat will represent a proportionately greater amount of total caloric intake.

Atkins and Protein Power diets restrict carbohydrate to a point where body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like Zone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, like Sugar Busters claim to eliminate only sugars and foods that elevate blood sugar levels excessively.

- What We Know about Low-Carb Diets

Almost all of studies to date have been small with a wide variety of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric intake, diet duration and participant characteristics varied greatly. Most of studies to date have two things in common: None of studies had participants with a mean age over 53 and none of controlled studies lasted longer than 90 days.

Information on older adults and long-term results are scarce. Many diet studies fail to monitor amount of exercise, and therefore caloric expenditure, while participants are dieting. This helps to explain discrepancies between studies.

The weight loss on low-carb diets is a function of caloric restriction and diet duration, and not with reduced carbohydrate intake. This finding suggests that if you want to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories and do so over a long time period.