Pat Robertson Claims Low-Carb Diet 'Violates' God's Principles

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Tuesday, October 08, 2013

A controversial televangelist has recently stated that diets low in carbohydrates are in violation of the principles of God.

Pat Robertson, author and current head of Regent University, said in an episode of "The 700 Club" on Monday that the Atkins diet "violates the principles that God set down."

"When your body burns this stuff with no carbohydrates what happens is you build up the clinkers," said Robertson.

"The Atkins diet is almost totally fat and protein. You can eat cheese, you can eat a lot of bacon, but sooner or later it violates the principles that God set down."

Named for Dr. Robert Coleman Atkins, the Atkins diet focuses on eliminating carbs from one's diet as a way of losing weight and improving health, according to an entry on WebMD.

"Drastically restricting carbohydrates to a mere fraction of that found in the typical American diet causes the body to go into a state of ketosis, which means it burns its own fat for fuel," reads the entry.

"As a result, your body changes from a carbohydrate-burning engine into a fat-burning engine. So instead of relying on the carbohydrate-rich items you might typically consume for energy, and leaving your fat stores just where they were before (alas, the hips, belly, and thunder thighs are popular fat-gathering spots), your fat stores become a primary energy source."

However, the medical website also noted that the diet remains "highly controversial," with some experts believing that such a diet increases the risk of heart disease and bone loss.

For his part, Robertson's 700 Club program has a weekly feature known as "Skinny Wednesday" that focuses on health issues.

"The 700 Club brings you the latest in health and fitness information every Wednesday. Join Pat Robertson and today's leading experts as they discuss ways you can improve your health, reduce aging, increase your energy, and receive the best medical care for you and your family," reads an entry on its website.

"The 700 Club has recipes, research, quizzes and exercises all designed to make your life healthy and vibrant. It's all here for you on CBN.com and The 700 Club."