Health & Wellness Issues concerning the well-being of the African American community imp"*"""* "^^?1 v ^^^bmrrjig^^bhrt: Eat meat lose weight? 4 . / File photo The high-protein, no-carbohydrate diet con increase cholesterol levels and cause kidney problems or possibly a loss of calcium in the bones. High protein diet is an unhealthy fad BY AMY FRAZIER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA - On a typical morning, Ron Glasgow con sumes a three-egg omelet and a 12-ounce package of bacon or a half-pound of ham. During the rest of the day. he can eat all the pork rinds, beef jerky, sausage and steak he wants. After following this diet for 11 months, he's lost 95 pounds. , Glasgow, down to 330 pounds, and others claim a diet of unlimited meat, cheese and eggs works - if you lay off the carbohydrates and sugars. No sweets, rice, pasta or bread. Many dietitians and health experts, 10,000 of Whom will be in Atlanta this week for the American Dietic Association's annual meeting, say the diet is an unhealthy fad and the weight loss is temporary. ; The high-protien, no-carb plan is "a nightmare of a diet," said Kathleen Zelman, a regis tered dietitian and ADA spokesperson. "At first, it sounds so alluring. You get the green light to eat these foods." But she said the monotony soon gets old. Sure, you get the hamburger, but no bun or fries. You can eat a big steak, but for get the baked potato and tossed salad. Plus, it's just unhealthy, t . . nutritionists say. Along with the risk of increasing cholesterol levels, the diet could cause kid ney problems or possibly a loss of calcium in the bones, Zelman said. Limiting the intake of car bohydrates to such a dramati cally low level starves the body of needed nutrients and it caus es an artificial metabolic state. "Think of it on a global per spective - the world at large sur vives on grains," Zelman said. "If we didn't have carbohy drates, we would not be able to survive. Bread is the staff pf life Glasgow, a 39-year-old com puter support technician from Cumming, said the diet allows him to lose weight and continue to be a "big eater." "I'm aware of some of the opponents, but for me right now, it seems to be working," he said. Glasgow said he Idst 100 pounds once before on a low fat, high exercise diet, but he couldn't stay on it. While on that diet, he said he took a two month leave of absence from his job and exercised between 6 and 8 hours a day. When he returned to a more reasonable exercise schedule, the weight stopped coming off an