ATKINS, Robert C(oleman) 1930-2003

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born October 17, 1930, in Columbus, OH; died as a result of head injuries suffered in a fall April 17, 2003, in New York, NY. Physician and author. Atkins was best known for creating the Atkins diet, which emphasizes a high protein and fat, low-carbohydrate combination of foods. A cardiologist and nutritionist, he was a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he earned an A.B. in 1951, and Cornell University, where he received his medical degree in 1955. After doing an internship at Strong Hospital in Rochester, New York, for a year, and finishing his residency in cardiology and internal medicine at hospitals in New York City, Atkins opened a private practice in 1959. During these early years, he suffered from stress and weight gain because he was depressed that he was not getting many patients at his office. He decided to go on a diet, and based his change in food intake on the research of Dr. Alfred W. Pennington, who recommended removing starch and sugar from meals. After finding success with his new diet, subsequent work as a medical consultant for American Telephone and Telegraph in which he managed to get sixty-four patients to reach their ideal weight helped spread the word of his diet. He appeared on national television in 1965 and his diet was published in Vogue magazine in 1970, after which it was known for a time as the Vogue diet. When he published his findings in Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution, in 1972 the book became a bestseller. However, it was also quite controversial as many of his fellow doctors, advocates of a diet low in fat and including much more fruits and vegetables than Atkins called for, declared the diet unhealthy. These doctors felt that, although the Atkins diet might cause a person to lose some weight at first, it was at the sacrifice of their overall health. Nevertheless, Atkins won over many converts and continued to publish his ideas in books such as Dr. Atkins' Superenergy Diet: The Diet Revolution's Answer to Fatigue and Depression (1977), Dr. Atkins' Super Energy Cookbook (1978), Dr. Atkins' New Diet Cookbook (1994), Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution (1999), and the 2003 edition of his Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution. Although no formal, thoroughly complete medical studies have been done on the effectiveness of the Atkins diet, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated that there was not enough evidence to prove it was harmful, either. Also interested in other nutrition and health issues, in 1984 Atkins opened his Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine, where he advocated the use of various alternative medicines and treatments, including the use of vitamins in place of drugs and a treatment for AIDS and cancer that used ozone. It was for the latter that he became the subject of a complaint that led to his medical license being temporarily suspended in 1993. However, he soon had his record cleared. His ideas about the use of vitamins and natural herbs in place of drugs are published in such books as Dr. Atkins' Nutrition Breakthrough: How to Treat Your Medical Condition without Drugs (1981) and Dr. Atkins' Vita-Nutrient Solution: Nature's Answers to Drugs (1998). In 2002, Atkins suffered a heart attack that was the result of an infection, not his diet, and his death was precipitated by a fall on an icy sidewalk.

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Chicago Tribune, April 18, 2003, section 1, p. 6.

Los Angeles Times, April 18, 2003, p. B11.

New York Times, April 18, 2003, p. C13.

Times (London, England), April 18, 2003.

Washington Post, April 18, 2003, p. B7.

ONLINE

Atkins Center Web site,http://atkins.com/ (July 5, 2003).