[news] Dr Atkins diet guru died obese, sick

[ron]

     Dr. Robert Atkins, whose popular diet stresses protein-rich meat 
and cheese over carbohydrates, weighed 258 pounds at his death and had a 
history of heart disease. Millions bought his best selling diet book and 
still follow Dr. Robert Atkins' low-carb, high-protein diet plan.

Paper: Diet guru Atkins qualified as obese

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

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NEW YORK (AP) -- Dr. Robert Atkins, whose popular diet stresses 
protein-rich meat and cheese over carbohydrates, weighed 258 pounds at 
his death and had a history of heart disease, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

Atkins died last April at age 72 after being injured in a fall on an icy 
street.

Before his death, he had suffered a heart attack, congestive heart 
failure and hypertension, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a 
report by the city medical examiner.

At 258 pounds, the 6-foot-tall Atkins would have qualified as obese, 
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's body-mass 
index calculator.

Diet is one potential factor in heart disease, but infections also can 
contribute to it.

Stuart Trager, chairman of the Atkins Physicians Council in New York, 
told the Journal that Atkins' heart disease stemmed from cardiomyopathy, 
a condition thought to result from a viral infection.

Atkins' weight was due to bloating associated with his condition, and he 
had been much slimmer during most of his life, Trager said.

Atkins widow outraged

The medical examiner's report was given to the Journal by the Physicians 
Committee for Responsible Medicine, a group that advocates 
vegetarianism. The medical examiner's office told the Journal that the 
report had been sent to the group in error.

There was no immediate response Tuesday to a call seeking additional 
comment from the medical examiner's office.

The diet guru's widow, Veronica Atkins, was outraged that the report had 
been made public.

"I have been assured by my husband's physicians that my husband's health 
problems late in life were completely unrelated to his diet or any 
diet," she told the Journal.

Last month, Veronica Atkins demanded an apology from Mayor Michael 
Bloomberg after Bloomberg called her late husband "fat."

In April 2002, Atkins issued a statement saying he was recovering from 
cardiac arrest related to a heart infection he had suffered from "for a 
few years." He said it was "in no way related to diet."

• Atkins widow in 'fat' spat with NYC mayor

http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/02/10/atkins.widow.ap/index.html

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Report: Atkins advises cutback on meat

Monday, January 19, 2004

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Promoters of the popular low-carbohydrate, 
high-fat Atkins diet are saying that people should limit their intake of 
saturated fat by cutting back on Atkins staples such as meat, cheese and 
butter, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

Responding to criticism from scientists that Atkins could lead to heart 
disease and other health problems, the director of research and 
education for Atkins Nutritionals, Colette Heimowitz, is telling health 
professionals that only 20 percent of a dieter's calories should come 
from saturated fat, the paper said.

Beef, pork, lamb and butter were on the list of "foods you may eat 
liberally" in diet founder Dr. Robert C. Atkins' plan. Atkins' original 
1972 book, "Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution," was contrary to the 
recommendations of most nutritional experts at the time. It has become 
increasingly popular since the 1992 publication of his book, "Dr. 
Atkins' New Diet Revolution."

Atkins, who died last year, always maintained that people should eat 
other food besides red meat, but had trouble getting that message out, 
the paper said.

The change comes as new low-carb diets are gaining in popularity, with 
many calling for less saturated fats. The South Beach Diet is one such 
plan and has sold millions of copies of its book since its launch last 
year. The book is currently No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/diet.fitness/01/19/atkins.reut/