Robert Atkins (physician)

Atkins was born in 1930 in Columbus, Ohio, the son of Eugene and Norma (Tuckerman) Atkins. His family was Jewish.[3] At the age of 12, his family moved to Dayton, Ohio, where his father owned several restaurants. As a young teen, Atkins held various jobs, including a position selling shoes at the age of 14 and a later gig on a local radio show. He attended Fairview High School in Dayton and, in 1947, finished second among 8,500 seniors on a statewide general scholarship test.[4][5] Upon graduating from the University of Michigan in 1951, Atkins had thoughts of becoming a comedian and spent the summer as a waiter and entertainer at various resorts in the Adirondacks.[4][6]

He eventually decided to pursue medicine, however, and received a medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in 1955. After completing an internship at Strong Hospital in Rochester, New York, and finishing his residency in cardiology and internal medicine at hospitals affiliated with Columbia University, Atkins specialized in cardiology and complementary medicine, and went on to open a private practice on the Upper East Side of New York City in 1959.[7]

Atkins' medical practice did not go well at first, and he began to put on weight and became depressed. After doing some research, he decided to pursue a low-carbohydrate approach published by Alfred W. Pennington, based on research Pennington did during World War II at DuPont.[4] He began applying this approach in his practice, and began writing books about low-carb diets that became known as the Atkins diet, publishing his first book in 1972 and a few years later opening a complementary medicine center.[4][8] He married his wife, Veronica, when he was 56.[8]

In 2002, Atkins went into cardiac arrest, leading many of his critics to point to this episode as proof of the inherent dangers in the consumption of high levels of saturated fat associated with the Atkins diet. In numerous interviews, however, Atkins stated that his cardiac arrest was not the result of poor diet, but was rather caused by a chronic infection.[9][10][11]

Atkins died on April 17, 2003, at the age of 72.[4] Nine days prior to his death, Atkins fell and hit his head on an icy New York sidewalk. At New York's Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was admitted on April 8, he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain but went into a coma and died from complications. He spent nine days in intensive care before dying on April 17, 2003.[12][13]

An illegally obtained medical report issued by the New York medical examiner's office a year after his death suggested that Atkins had a history of heart attack, congestive heart failure and hypertension.[12] According to Dr. Stuart Trager, chairman of the Atkins Physicians Council (a group of physicians who work as consultants to the Atkins organization), this report contained incomplete medical records and that Dr. Atkins did not have a history of heart attack; instead, according to Trager, Dr. Atkins had cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease that was probably caused by a virus, not his diet.[14] His widow refused to allow an autopsy.[14]

The Atkins Diet is a low-carbohydrate diet promoted by Atkins.[15][16][17]

His success inspired others to generate low-carb diets, and many companies released low-carb diets and low-carb foods.[18] After his death, the popularity of Atkins' diet waned, with the other low-carb diets eroding its market share and questions being raised about its safety.[18] In 2005, Atkins Nutritionals filed for bankruptcy. It was subsequently purchased by North Castle Partners in 2007 and switched its emphasis to low-carb snacks.[18] In 2010, the company was acquired by Roark Capital Group.[19]

• Atkins, Robert C. The Essential Atkins for Life Kit: The Next Level Pan Macmillan, 2003. ISBN 0-330-43250-8
• Atkins, Robert C. Dr. Atkins' Diet Planner M. Evans and Company, 2003 | Vermilion, 2003. ISBN 0-09-189877-3
• Atkins, Robert C. Atkins for Life: The Next Level New York: St. Martin's Press, 2003. ISBN 1-4050-2110-1
• Atkins, Robert C. Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution New York: Avon Books, 2002. ISBN 0-06-001203-X. | Vermilion, 2003. ISBN 0-09-188948-0
• Atkins, Robert C. Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution M. Evans and Company, 2002
• Atkins, Robert C. Dr. Atkins' Age-Defying Diet St. Martin's Press, 2001, 2002
• Atkins, Robert C. Dr. Atkins' Vita-Nutrient Solution: Nature's Answers to Drugs Simon and Schuster, 1997
• Atkins, Robert C. Dr. Atkins' Quick & Easy New Diet Cookbook Simon and Schuster, 1997
• Atkins, Robert C. Dr. Atkins' New Carbohydrate Gram Counter. New York: M. Evans and Company, 1996. ISBN 0-87131-815-6
• Atkins, Robert C, Gare, Fran Dr. Atkins' New Diet Cookbook M. Evans and Company, 1994 | Vermilion, 2003. ISBN 0-09-188946-4
• Atkins, Robert C. Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution M. Evans and Company, 1992
• Atkins, Robert C. Dr. Atkins' Health Revolution Houghton Mifflin, 1988
• Atkins, Robert C. Dr. Atkins' Nutrition Breakthrough Bantam, 1981
• Atkins, Robert C. Dr. Atkins' SuperEnergy Diet Cookbook Signet, 1978
• Atkins, Robert C. Dr. Atkins' SuperEnergy Diet Bantam, 1978
• Atkins, Robert C. Dr. Atkins' Diet Cookbook Bantam, 1974
• Atkins, Robert C. Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution Bantam, 1972

• Rogak, Lisa (2005). Dr. Robert Atkins: the true story of the man behind the war on carbohydrates. Robson. p. 230. ISBN 1-86105-887-X.
• Larry King interview
• BBC Obituary: Dr Robert Atkins April 17, 2003
• Snopes on Doctor Atkins' death