Dr. Atkins death was unexpected. On 8 April 2003, he fell on an icy street, lost his conscience and never recovered until his death, 9 days later. On 17 April 2003 medical support was withdrawn and Robert C. Atkins passed away.
Soon after his death, nonbelievers and people who denied and blamed Atkins diet, showed very little compassion or sympathy.
Veronika Atkins, the widow, was very upset and spoke out about the real circumstances of her husband's death. She also felt extremely sad as the unkind rumors prevented her from grieving for her husband.
The rumors
258 pounds
This weight was considered obese by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's body-mass index calculator. Unusual because the 6-foot tall doctor had always been a very active person and dieting himself for many years.
Heart Disease
Dr. Atkins was suffering from a form of heart disease, of heart's muscle, in fact. This seemed odd, since he had always insisted that his diet made the heart and the blood vessels stronger and lowered the cholesterol level. In January 2003, the author of Atkins diet plan had a heart stroke arrest, which confused people even more.
The official version
This was puzzling information and everybody waited for the truth to be unveiled. But Dr. Atkins' widow and a good friend of the deceased (Dr Keith Berkowitz) untangled the situation and presented their version:
1. Dr. Atkins was a rather healthy 72-year-old person, with a moderate weight (less than 190-200 pounds). Dr. Keith Berkowitz said that the coma condition and being artificially fed led to an abnormal swelling during those nine days when his life was supported by medical equipment. People who saw him admitted that he was unusually swollen.
The liquids given by medical assistance could have been the cause of his growing.
2. Three years before his heart attack, Dr. Atkins (69) announced that he had been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, which may have been responsible for the heart arrest three years later. Also, on his regular heart control, he found that his coronary arteries showed insignificant signs of coronary disease. Given his age, Dr. Atkins was a healthy person, able to control his cardiomyopathy, said Veronika Atkins.
Given these facts, everybody had to admit that Dr. Atkins had a stupid, accidental death. His head injury was in fact fatal to dr. Atkins.
Mayor's blunder
Just when things seemed clear and settled, a malicious statement of New York's Mayor brought the doctor's death into attention once more. Wrongly believing that he is off the record, Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor, joked around Dr. Atkins' death. He called him ?fat", saying that all the information about his head injury are ?bullshit". Thus, Mayor Bloomberg insinuated that Atkins may have died from weight-related problems, not from head injuries. All these just after he had sent the widow a condolence letter.
Before and after Dr. Atkins passed away
Dr. Atkins' life was remarkable. His studies and efforts regarding proper nourishment, diet and an active lifestyle really helped people. Lately, Dr. Atkins had begun to receive international medical recognition. Everyone following Dr. Atkins diet had to admit that it really works. Many people were satisfied and grateful for losing weight and attaining a new slim figure along with a new lifestyle.
Without a doubt, anyone undertaking a diet - any diet - should be aware of some health risks.
The Atkins had a major influence on the food industry. While Atkins meals (high protein foods, high fat) and Atkins supplements became notorious, others suffered a severe decline. Bread and high-carbohydrate foods manufacturers were removed from the market. Pizza and bread are not for Atkins dieters: those 30 million people who followed Atkins have known it for about 30 years.
It is hard to say how Atkins food chains and Atkins Nutritionals will evolve from now on. Will Atkins diet still be a popular one, after the author's death? How about health officials? Will they intensify their efforts in persuading dieters to drop off the diet? How about the competition? They might be thrilled with Atkins' absence, since he was the core of low-carb diet craze?
So far there have been some signs of distress for Atkins Nutritionals. It is stated that the company is dealing with some difficulties and is reducing staff. Atkins Nutritionals in Ronkonkoma, New York has 370 employees. Nevertheless, general opinion is that because the diet always had spectacular weight-loss results (especially on Induction phase), people will always want to try it.
Dana Scripca is a web editor and writes for Dr. Atkins' Diet Plan, from http://www.dratkinsdietplan.info/. You may contact her at http://www.dratkinsdietplan.info/..
bedroom cleaning professionals Bannockburn ..One Reality TV show, The Swan, thrives on makeovers. Often... Read More
Dealing with your sweet-tooth can be one of the greatest... Read More
Obesity and fast foods - there's little doubt about the... Read More
Have you ever wondered why diet books always seem to... Read More
Why has Phentermine stopped helping me lose weight?Many people are... Read More
Many people limit themselves to one soda a day especially... Read More
Have I become invisible or are people just aiming right... Read More
Two basic approaches to losing weight; one approach is correct... Read More
Did you ever think about the fact that losing 2... Read More
Now this is the real American Dream! I'm here to... Read More
Obesity, especially in children, is a matter of rapidly growing... Read More
At its most basic, dieting is about burning more calories... Read More
Today obesity, diabetes, and heart disease run through us at... Read More
Our bodies only require a small amount of salt for... Read More
To say that dieting rarely leads to sustainable weight loss... Read More
These treadmill weight loss tips are a great way to... Read More
We are inundated by exhortations to lose weight - from... Read More
The Psychology of Weight Loss ? Your Approach!We have missed... Read More
Any food that we take into our bodies is composed... Read More
In this age being ignorant is like committing a crime.... Read More
I had lost nearly fifty pounds before anyone mentioned my... Read More
I have tried many "diets" here in the USA and... Read More
Body Mass Index (bmi) A Misleading measure of ObesityMany professionals... Read More
While the gastric bypass may seem like the perfect solution... Read More
I have had some e-mails come in and everyone is... Read More
Airbnb cleaning service Bannockburn ..For the past several years one subject has been coming... Read More
Fats are always looked at as a negative in a... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
Gastric bypass surgeries are temporary physical fixes to a long... Read More
Rejuvenation and the Protein Revolution in Your Kitchen?2003 Marilyn DiamondIf... Read More
A question from one of our readers:Dr. Mericle,With respect to... Read More
I want to make this perfectly clear, fruits are healthy... Read More
False campaignsMore than 50 percent of Americans and Canadians are... Read More
You've decided it's time to lose some weight. A lot... Read More
Are you or your family members amongst the 65%?To help... Read More
Dieting doesn't have to be a chore. Actually, you can... Read More
There are those that walk amongst us who have followed... Read More
With the popularity of low carb diets such as Atkins,... Read More
We have all heard of those new diets, Atkins, low... Read More
"I've put on 40 pounds in one year!" "It doesn't... Read More
Recently, I won a family cruise on the Regis and... Read More
If you've been on a low carb diet for any... Read More
With the growing epidemic of diabetes and obesity in our... Read More
The holidays are now officially over and it's time to... Read More
Axiom Number Two: Hunger ControlTrying to lose weight without understanding... Read More
You've heard the popular advice on weight loss diets. Cut... Read More
When we discover that we are heavier than we want... Read More
It happens every morning when you mosey out of bed,... Read More
If you're thinking of going on a diet to lose... Read More
Are you wondering why you're not losing weight? If you're... Read More
Weight Loss |