Dr Atkins’ death was unexpected. On 8 April 2003, he fell on an icy street, lost consciousness and passed away 9 days later. On 17 April 2003 medical support was withdrawn.
Surprisingly, soon after his death, nonbelievers, tall poppy choppers, critics, ambulance chasers and others tried to denigrate the good doctor and his now controversial Atkins’ diet.
Veronika Atkins, Dr Atkins’ widow, was very upset by unfounded rumours of her husband’s health and revealed the real circumstances of Dr. Atkins’ death. She also felt extremely sad as the unwanted media attention intruded on her private grief at losing 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 ate according to his diet plan.
Heart Disease
Dr. Atkins was suffering from a form of heart disease, ( cardiomyopathy). 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 the facts:
- Dr. Atkins was a healthy 72-year-old, 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 caused this bloating. - 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 heart problem, said Veronika Atkins.
Given these facts, everybody had to admit that Dr. Atkins had an accidental death. The head injury was in fact what caused the death of Dr Atkins.
Bloomfield Blunder
Just when things seemed clear and settled, a malicious statement by Michael Bloomberg, New York’s Mayor brought the doctor’s death into attention once more. Wrongly believing that he was off the record, Bloomberg, the Mayor, made light of Dr. Atkins’ death. He called him “fat”, saying that all the information about his head injury was “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 Dr Atkins’ widow a condolence letter. Politicians!
Before and After Dr. Atkins’ Death
Dr. Atkins’ life was remarkable. His studies and efforts regarding proper nourishment, diet and an active lifestyle helped people with appropriate food choices. Dr. Atkins had begun to receive international medical recognition. Everyone following Dr. Atkins’ diet had to admit that it really worked. 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.
Dr Atkins’ diet had a major influence on the food industry. While use of Atkins’ meals (high protein foods) and Atkins’ supplements became widespread, the sales of other commercial products such as bread, buns and other high-carbohydrate foods dropped. Pizza and bread are not for Atkins dieters. The 30 million people who followed Atkins have known it for over 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 Atkins’ diet has remarkable weight-loss results (especially in the Induction phase), people will always want to try it.
The Mystery of Dr. Atkins’ Death
