For over fifty years I have watched dietary fads come and go. Usually, they are simply a way of selling books with wild claims. Sometimes they revolve around a new “superfood” or ingredient with supposed magical ingredients, and sometimes they are simply permission to carry on with a specific bad habit. The Carnivore, Ketogenic, Paleo or Dukan diets are examples of the former.

Some may recognize that the basic principle is similar to the Atkins Diet that was popular in the early 1990’s with only the smallest changes. The basic principle is that carbohydrates are dangerous and animal protein is the solution to the growing girth of people’s waistlines.

The kernel of truth is that you can certainly lose weight quickly on these diets.

Low carbohydrate intake causes blood sugar levels to drop, and the body begins breaking down fat to use as energy. They depend on a physical response called ketosis, which is actually a mild form of ketoacidosis.

Ketoacidosis is a sickness, and it is the leading cause of death of people with diabetes under 24-years of age. It is a toxic condition. It has no positive health benefits aside from rapid weight loss. The main two qualities that make these programs popular are:

1. You can lose weight quickly.
2. You can eat a lot of meat and feel good about it.

When there is an insufficient intake of carbohydrates, the body’s primary fuel, the body turns to fat and protein for energy. This is the same condition that occurs when a person is starving to death. The difference is that in this case, the person can stave off the hunger pangs by eating more food. The people on this diet make themselves sick in order to gain a cosmetic result. The attainment of health is seen as secondary to “looking good.” Weight loss with no regard to health is not only ridiculous; it is also dangerous.

This is similar to a slightly more sophisticated and culturally acceptable form of anorexia. These diets promote the foods that the American Cancer Society, the Heart Association and the World Health Organization tell us are the common causes of death and disability.