Encyclopedia of Diets - A Guide to Health and Nutrition

increases the risk of kidney stones, which are more

likely to form when large amounts of calcium are

present. Cholesterol levels increase on high protein

diets because of increased intake of saturated fats

associated with animal protein. Finally, when the

body is in a state of ketosis, the ketones that accumu-

late make the body more acidic, and this can cause

major damage to various organs.

Research and general acceptance

High protein diets have come in for a lot of

criticism, even though several studies have shown

that the Atkins diet is not as problematic as was orig-

inally thought. Nutritionists find high protein diets,

especially high protein, high fat, severely carbohydrate

restricted diets, to be unhealthy, unbalanced, and gen-

erally unnecessary because of the well-documented

risks outlined above. The public, however, has

embraced high-protein diets such as the Zone Diet

and the Atkins Diet, at least until the next new diet

comes along. Bodybuilders, weightlifters, and others

wishing to gain muscle mass also look favorably on

high protein diets. The Mayo Clinic concludes that

high protein diets are probably not harmful to healthy

individuals with good kidney function. The American

Heart Association condemns these diets because they

appear to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

No studies have been done on the long-term effects of

high-protein diets.

Resources

BOOKS

Eades, Michael R. and Mary Dan Eades.The Protein Power

Lifeplan. New York: Warner Books, 2000.

PERIODICALS

American Heart Association Science Advisory. ‘‘Dietary

Protein and Weight Reduction.’’Circulation. 104

(2001):1869-74.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Dietetic Association. 120 South Riverside Plaza,

Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995. Telephone:

(800) 877-1600. Website:<http://www.eatright.org>

American Heart Association. 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dal-

las, TX 75231. Telephone: (800) 242-8721. Website:

<http://www.americanheart.org>

OTHER

American Heart Association. ‘‘High-Protein Diets.’’

undated, accessed April21, 2007.<http://

216.185.112.5/presenter.jhtml?identifier=11234>

Gilbert, Monique N. ‘‘High-Protein Diets—Are You Losing

More than Weight?’’<http://www.fwhc.org/health/high-

protein-diet.htm>undated, accessed April 25, 2007.

Harvard School of Public Health. ‘‘Interpreting News on

Diet.’’ Harvard University, 2007.<http://

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/media.html>

Mayo Clinic Staff. ‘‘High-protein Diets: Safe if You Have

Kidney of Liver Disease?’’ MayoClinic.com, June 8,

2006.<http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-

protein-diets/AN00847>

Northwesternutrition ‘‘Nutrition Fact Sheet: Protein.’’

Northwestern University, September 21, 2006.<http://

http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/nutrition/factsheets/

protein.html>

United States Department of Health and Human Services

and the United States Department of Agriculture.

‘‘Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005.’’ January 12,

2005.<http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines>

WebMD. ‘‘Weight Loss: High Protein, Low Carbohydrate

Diets.’’ October 1, 2005.<http://women.webmd.com/

guide/high-protein-low-carbohydrate-diets>

Tish Davidson, A.M.

Hilton Head metabolism diet

Definition

The Hilton Head metabolism diet was created by

Peter M. Miller, PhD, who believes that a dieter’s

metabolism can be increased by eating five small

meals a day and getting the correct amount and type

exercise. This increase in metabolism will help allow

the dieter to lose weight.

Origins

The Hilton Head metabolism diet was created by

Peter M. Miller. Miller was born on October 5, 1942.

He attended the University of Maryland, from which

he received a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1964.

He then attended the University of South Carolina,

from which he received a master’s degree in 1966 and a

doctoral degree in 1968, both in psychology. He is a

professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behav-

ioral Sciences, and in the College of Graduate studies,

at the Medical University of South Carolina. He is

also the education coordinator of the Alcohol

Research Center at the same institution.

Miller’s writings on a variety of subjects have been

published in many scholarly journals. In addition to

publishing studies looking at saturated fat intake,

binge eating, and weight loss intervention programs,

he also studies alcoholism and other addiction behav-

iors. He is the editor of the journalsAddictive Behaviors,

andEating Behaviors,and is on the editorial board of

Hilton Head metabolism diet