Yes and no . . .
Credentials . . . undergraduate degree in Nutrition from the
UNC School of Public Health along with a minor in Biochemistry. As for the present and near future
last update was indeed 1999 . . .
Let me help you with some 411:
Atkin's diet will produce weight loss . . . often dramatic. Is his diet consistent with a healthy lifestyle . . . absolutely NOT. The cavemen were not vegans? You need to stop watching Clan of the Cave Bear. Early peoples were likely gatherer before hunter/gatherer. And true civilizations evolved out of agriculture in which produce predated and typically dominated livestock. The caveman you cite likely had a lifespan of <20 years. He/she didn't live long enough to die from heart attack or stroke via clogged arteries.
If you burn more than you consume you will lose weight. One can of Coke 120kcals; go diet and you save 3600 kcals a month. Make a habit of parking your car farther from your office or class, take the stairs up and down, and minimal physical exertion (stretching) can easily net another 120 kcal/d. That's a total of 7200 kcal/month (or 2+ pounds of bodyweight) from doing next to nothing. Imagine what would happen if you actually exercised? Furthermore, Atkin's diet doesn't work any magic. He depletes glycogen stores by restricting carb intake. It's been awhile but my best recollection is that it takes 3 moles of water to store 1 mole of glucose as glycogen. Hence, glycogen loss will produce a loss of free water (it may be 3/1 by mass not moles). If that's the case then 75% of the wt loss is water, and 25% glycogen which is stored primarily in muscle and the liver. Excretion of excess protein derived waste requires increased water consumption if you do not meet this requirement you will become dehydrated.
400-500g pro/d bodybuilders typically consume 6-8 quarts of pure water per day and eat enough broccoli to grow sprouts out the arse. They also consume loads of white rice and pasta. They do not eat at Jack in the Box or McDs ordering high saturated fat crap, tossing the bun, and calling it a quality meal. They prepare low fat high protein sources and then replete their diet as necessary with essential fats (omega-3/fish and omega-6/plant). In the months prior to a contest they GRADUALLY reduce their carbs. Induced ketosis helps firm the muscles by reducing bulk glycogen and its water component. No alive and well bodybuilder would tell you ketosis is healthy for more than 4-8 weeks. I know I wrestled . . . the diet sucks but it works in the short term. Don't even get me started on the myriad of micronutritents found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains necessary for a complete diet.
Protein provides the substrate for muscle repair/growth and essentially every enzyme function in the body while carbs are NECESSARY for the basal energy requirement of the brain which consumes most of your energy while at rest. When we feed patients parenteral nutrition (through their veins) we actually calculate specific ratios of protein to carb b/c protein requires a certain amount of carbs to be properly metabolized.
High protein diets 2g/lb bodyweight with adequate water consumption are UNLIKELY to cause kidney disease. But for those of you who called the Rochester nutritionist a quack you don't know diddly. Dehydration alone can cause kidney damage. Prolonged use of a ketogenic diet without adequate hydration could certainly do it. Nephrotic syndrome is diagnosed by the triad of high blood pressure, proteinuria (protein in the urine), and hyperlipidemia (typically cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood).
As for Atkins diet cleaning the arteries . . . near total BS. The only diet centered plan known to retard or reverse atherosclerosis is
Dean Ornish in the Journal of the American Medical Association which is essentially the polar opposite to Atkins. And unlike Atkins, Ornish's peer-reviewed studies actually encompass decent sample sizes and protocols consistent with healthy lifestyles. Admittedly, I do consider Ornish a little bit of a flake. And his diet bites unless you like eating like a rabbit. But a flexible form of Ornish allowing nuts, seeds, eggs, cheese, high-fat fish in moderation (and a tiny bit of beef) will provide most of the benefits of his diet and be consistent with what most people would be willing to do for the rest of their lives.
Excellent summary of why Atkinsonian thought is unhealthy fad and info on other weight loss options