Print

Mail

wiki links

Diet guru's death triggers medical spat

Robert Atkins, pioneer of the controversial diet which bears his name, was clinically obese at the time of his death, a leaked medical report said on Tuesday.

Atkins, who encouraged dieters to cut out carbohydrates in favor of protein, weighed in at 116kg when he slipped on an icy New York pavement last year.

The report also revealed that Atkins, who had followed his own diet for 39 years as well as inspiring celebrities including Brad Pitt and Geri Halliwell, had a history of heart problems.

Atkins' widow, Veronica, was furious that the details of the report had surfaced, claiming some "unscrupulous" opponents of her late husband's work were trying to undermine him and insisted his health problems were unrelated to his diet.

Following his death last April aged 72, Atkins' family objected to a full post mortem examination being carried out. However, a medical examiner carried out an "external" examination and reviewed Atkins' hospital records.

It had received them from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which champions a vegetarian diet and has been a critic of Atkins' theories.
This story has been viewed 1599 times.