Does the Atkins diet work?

According to U.S. News & World Report, the Atkins diet has been studied more than most other diets and has been found to be moderately successful in the first few weeks it is followed. A low carbohydrate diet, it shows promise in short-term weight loss but not much else.

With the Atkins diet, dieters go through phases where they limit their carbs until they reach their desired weight. It requires quite a few restrictions, which does not make it the healthiest diet; however, the limits applied tend to reduce blood pressure. The side effects of the diet are generally minor.