According to Veronica Atkins, the widow of Dr. Robert Atkins, the cause of his death was from falling on a slippery sidewalk with subsequent irreversible brain damage (from a CNN interview, February, 2004). Many critics of the Atkins Diet Plan claim the fall was due to a heart attack. This has not been verified to date.
He was 72 years old.
With all due respect to Veronica Atkins, I would like to assume Dr. Atkins did in fact suffer a fatal heart attack. This is in order to answer the following questions...
The Atkins Diet Plan & Cardiovascular Risk
Medically speaking, it is incorrect to associate Dr. Atkins' fatal heart attack to the use of his low Carb diet. There are two reasons for coming to this conclusion.
However, both events occurred well above the age of 55...the cut off used for men to assign an increased risk for cardiovascular events to their first degree relatives. He was at an age which allows for the exclusion of any significant cardiovascular risk passing to his children.
From an epidemiology view point, risk behaviors like smoking or eating a high fat diet are no longer considered as primary contributors in Dr. Atkins' death.
Yes, eating a high fat diet may have played a role, but this is only speculation. Because Dr. Atkins was 72 at the time of his death, no risk for similar events is passed onto his first degree relatives and the risk for cardiovascular events is the same for everyone at that age.
With all due respect, he died of old age. To blame the Atkins Diet Plan and low Carb diets in general is medically irresponsible. At 72 years old, there are several factors to consider when faced with a fatal heart attack, including the aging process itself.
Veronica Atkins was quoted by CNN...
"My husbands health at the time of his death is a sad and distracting sideshow, taking time away from an intelligent debate of the known science."
For a more detailed discussion on cardiovascular risk and age, please visit...
Low Carb Bankruptcy -- Evidence for its Ineffectiveness?
The only correct way to measure a diet's effectiveness (or lack there of) is to study the evidence provided by clinical trials. Recently, a few good studies have reported on the effectiveness of the Atkins Diet Plan and other low Carb diets.
In short, low Carb diets, measured at one year, are safe and effective in helping dieters lose weight.
Like all diet types, the evidence for long term effectiveness (2 to 5 years) is sparse and inconsistent.
Cardiovascular risk increases for some dieters on low Carb diets, not because of the carbohydrate restriction, but because of the consumption of foods high in fat. Also, sticking with the low Carb diet appears to be tough for most dieters beyond one year.
And lastly, low Carb diets that promote long stages of measurable ketosis may cause rapid weight loss that is too extreme. This is a great way to guarantee weight regain in the near future.
Conclusion
Atkins death, from whatever the cause, can not be associated with his diet because he was 72 years old at the time of his death. Even if Dr. Atkins' death could be associated with his diet, no correlations could be made to similar low Carb diets, too much variation exists between them.
Bankruptcy does not belong in a scientific discussion of a diet's effectiveness.
To Healthy Living!
Michael A. Smith, MD
Chief Medical Consultant
Diet Basics Web Site
Dr. Smith is the Chief Medical Consultant for Diet Basics, a content rich weight loss website dedicated to all dieters. Please visit his site at...
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carMore and more people are turning to hypnosis or hypnotherapy... Read More
I was at the grocery store the other day, doing... Read More
Body Mass Index (BMI)Body Mass Index is an accurate indicator... Read More
Fat Loss Tip #2) Drink More WaterI know, I know,... Read More
What does it take to lose weight?When it comes to... Read More
Today you have a good chance of getting diabetes or... Read More
I really like Dr. Phil, so I wanted to like... Read More
There are tons of fad diets and weight loss schemes... Read More
You see it all the time; people agonizing over their... Read More
Be Prepared. For the Boy Scouts it means you are... Read More
With the popularity of low carb diets such as Atkins,... Read More
Obesity still remains one of the commonest avoidable causes of... Read More
Carnitine is simply the safest and healthiest supplement you can... Read More
Ready for a hardcore diet to get lean in a... Read More
If you've been enjoying life after gastric bypass surgery you... Read More
If you want any weight loss program to work you... Read More
What a great world we live in. You want something,... Read More
Include in your diet things that contain more water like... Read More
Finding Mad Cow in Oregon puts a new wrinkle in... Read More
Many Americans include health improvement in their New Year's Resolutions.... Read More
Visualization is a powerful technique that can help you make... Read More
Low self-esteem produces a game of control. It causes a... Read More
If you are losing, trying to lose, or think you... Read More
There are lots of dieters, trying every sort of plan... Read More
Eating the right foods and exercising regularly have been the... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..You have heard enough about losing weight with various means... Read More
Ok... If you are reading this is because you do... Read More
Cellulite ? a word most women are very familiar with.... Read More
No doubt about it, when we feel stressed we want... Read More
These days more and more people are getting intellectual instead... Read More
Here are 4 diet tips we all need reminded of... Read More
Close kept secrets to weight loss: Give me 9 days... Read More
More and more people are starting to recognize that they... Read More
The best exercises for quick weight loss in my opinion... Read More
Contrary to common belief, your weight is not really the... Read More
Dieters dread the plateau. You're on a roll, losing weight... Read More
I just read this conventional diet tip ? and we've... Read More
It's the travel time, meaning hours spent sedentary. It prepares... Read More
There has been a recent surge in the experts weighing... Read More
Recently, I was reading about a diet plan where you... Read More
Diet drop out, a significant problem for all types of... Read More
I am Greg Ryan, a high profile fitness expert with... Read More
Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) is often viewed as a quick... Read More
I wonder how much it is generally known that the... Read More
Diet PillsTaking diet pills is definitely not an effective weight... Read More
Although the big push for fad diets has died down... Read More
We have plans for everything these days. That is how... Read More
When it comes to weight loss, most of us would... Read More
Looking to lose weight quickly? The good news is that... Read More
Of all the possible exercises there are to help you... Read More
Weight Loss |