Report: Diet Doctor Atkins Was Obese

Yahoo/AP ^ | 2/10/2004 | AP

[ClintonBeGone]

NEW YORK - 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 (news - web sites)'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.

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."

[cupcakes]

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

____
I know those on Atkins will refuse to look into this, but you really should be concerned about this. Obviously his wife would not want this out, but she is also milking profits from things related to his diet. Why would she ever reveal medical conditions that could be related to his diet?
I'm just asking freepers on this to investigate this carefully, especially in light of how irritated his wife is getting at the revelation of his medical condition prior to his death. I don't see how she would be so upset if this was NOT related in some way, at least partially, to his lifestyle and diet. This revelation means she stands to lose a lot of money if the diet was in fact not healthy long term.

[mabelkitty]

Subsidizing via the WIC programs.

[dogbyte12]

WTG Dr. Atkins more likely. Like many else, I tried high carb, low fat, over and over and over again. I could lose weight, but I would starve and think of food continuously. There is no hunger here. The fats and proteins give me the energy to exercise, as opposed to the quick peak and crash from eating carbs.

I ran 3 miles yesterday. 3 months ago, I could barely walk without breaking into a sweat. God gave us pasta, corn syrup, and white bread so that is what we must eat, according to these idiot debunkers.

I am not an Atkins absolutist though. The key for me was to stop eating unnatural things. Once you start eating only as God has provided, you find out you are going to do ok. If you want to eat brown rice, go for it.

Low/smart carb diets should be called the "Creator Diet".

[adam_az]

"I despise the veggies myself. But I really have a hard time accepting this diet as healthy."

Mind explaining your understanding of what a person on the diet would eat in a typical day, and why that wouldn't be good?

[Trident/Delta]

The medical examiner's office told the Journal that the report had been sent to the group in error.

If this had been a civilian medical concern then they would face BIG $$ penalty under the HIPAA (Healthcare Information Privacy and Accountability Act) legislation. But, because government is exempt, all they get is a "whoopsie, sorry about that"

That ME and his staff should be replaced. This is untolerable.

Semper Furious

[bvw]

Would you be up to possibly considering that the reason the Doctor Atkins was so greviously affected by the viral infection is because of his diet and its weakening of the renal systems, the lymphatics and the many other bits and pieces of the whole system that make up a healthy person?

[babyface00]

I've been off and on Atkins for about two years. If I exercise at the same time, I can easily drop 5lbs/week for several consecutive weeks.

I'm convinced that the big benefit of Atkins is eliminating refined flour and sugar (and associated products) from your diet. Even if eating red meat and minimal veggies is "bad" for you, eating sugar and white flour is probably worse and it makes you fat. So, the tradeoff amounts to a far healthier lifestyle than, say, cutting out fat, but eating all the sugar and flour or going vegan, but eating all the sugar and flour.

The only downside I see to Atkins is that it requires a lot of preparation since you really can't eat all that much in restaurants (especially at lunchtime), especially during the first week.

As a nice side benefit, I've noticed that Atkins clears up my face, and greatly reduces my allergy symptoms, both of which I attribute to sugar consumption.

So, IMHO, Atkins might not be the absolute 100% best healthiest diet you could participate in, but considering what most of us eat, its a definite improvement, and you end up losing weight too.

[xzins]

How old was he?

[cupcakes]

BINGO! The more moderate freeper dieters have been saying this all along. The best diet is a balanced one free of processed foods. I know this disturbs some freepers, but you don't need Atkins anymore than you need any other diet guru. Cut out the pop, cut out the sweets, cut out eating processed foods several times a day, drink water, and exercise and you will lose weight unless you have some other underlying medical condition. I'm sure Atkins(the wife now) appreciates you lining her pockets though and defending her business while you throw your commen sense to the wind.

[jjm2111]

My mid-sixties dad has been on Atkins for about one an a half years. He was at 360 and is now at about 260. ALL of his health signs; blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. were way down. His doctor was estatic.

[adam_az]

I'm just asking freepers on this to investigate this carefully, especially in light of how irritated his wife is getting at the revelation of his medical condition prior to his death. I don't see how she would be so upset if this was NOT related in some way, at least partially, to his lifestyle and diet. This revelation means she stands to lose a lot of money if the diet was in fact not healthy long term.

I think we should be suspicious of why someone named "cupcakes" would be trying to sow the seeds of dissent among low carb dieters. What are you, a shill for Hostess?

[DeepDish]

This sounds like a thinly camoflauged peta attack. Secretariats death proves that even oat bran has it's limits

[SBprone]

Brown rice steamed in chicken broth. Mixed with black beans. Warmed up in the microwave as a mid-afternoon snack.

God's gift.

[Marysecretary]

I'm glad it's working for you but it is NOT for everyone. People with kidney problems should never eat that much meat because the protein spills over into the urine and causes mega problems. Not everybody can or should go on this type of diet. I've been instructed NOT to.

[ClintonBeGone]

AP correctly identified the agenda of the group leaking the examiner's report, so this article rates well above their usual standard.

Yeah, I was amazed to see that. Foiled the purpose of the radicals effort.

[bvw]

That's a good part of it. Highly processed foods -- such as Lucky Charms -- are nutrient starved, unbalanced foods. Not to say that "all natural" foods are perfect -- thay are not. Natural foods require preparation -- cutting off toxic parts, cooking, freshness, some (but less than with processed foods) balancing with other foods in the diet.

[Marysecretary]

I agree.

[jjm2111]

Also, neither my dad or I sent the man a dime. BTW, I agree w/ the moderated diet + exercise type way of doing things. My "atkins diet" certainly isn't 100% bacon, 100% of the time.

[Pukin Dog]

Brown rice steamed in chicken broth. Mixed with black beans. God's gift.

God's gift to what, a rodent?

God's gift looks a lot more like a Porterhouse steak to me, pal.

[fml]

No. None of the Atkins groupies would.