Why do people keep dissing low carb diets?

I was reading diet related web pages recently and came across, for the umpteenth time, a statement along the lines of 'they promote a healthy balance, not crash diets' - and the so-called crash diets cited were Atkins and South Beach. From my experience, this is a typical statement made by well intentioned commentators that just plain do not get it.

We have lived with a concept of 'balanced diet' for a long time now, and any diet that deviates from the constituents of a balanced diet is treated with scorn. Unfortunately, the 'balanced diet' is somewhat like buying an off-the-rack suit. They are designed to fit 'average' guys - but they only fit well if your body conforms to what the manufacturer's understanding of 'average' was at the time it was made.

The classic 'balanced diet', consisting of protein, carbohydrate and moderate amounts of fat, is designed for people whose bodies work correctly - people who can effectively digest all three components without generating any disporportionate amounts of hormones. The entire point of the material in this website is that PEOPLE WHO ARE OVERWEIGHT HAVE BODIES THAT DO NOT WORK CORRECTLY. A fundamental misunderstanding is that bodies that work correctly do not gain weight!

I should clarify: I am not referring to those few fortunate souls that need to lose five pounds in order to loosen their shirts, or not look like they were poured into their bathing suits. I am referring to those, like myself, who have had to struggle with a body that wants to be more than 25% heavier than it 'should' be. Obesity is a symptom of underlying metabolic disorder; it is not a cause.

To bring an obese body under control, we have to identify the foods that cause the metabolic disorder, and eliminate them. Low carb diets do exactly this, and work for a substantial number of people that try them, with the added advantage that excessive hunger is eliminated along with the excessive weight. Low fat diets serve a different purpose, and I have met people whose health has improved substantially by following them. They are generally people with cardiovascular difficulties who are NOT obese.

Those who comment negatively on diets that provide a restriction on food groups need to be aware that there are very few people who are suited to 'one size fits all' diets... same as with suits off the rack.