April 26, 2002
		Creator of the High Protein Atkins Diet Suffers a Heart Attack High-profile nutrition author Dr. Robert Atkins, creator of the Atkins Diet, is recovering from a heart attack he suffered last week. Atkins has built an empire by advocating a very high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet through the sale of books, videotapes, and frozen processed foods. The Atkins Diet has been the subject of numerous warnings by the medical establishment who question its safety and legitimacy. Atkins, who is 71, went into cardiac arrest on April 18 and was released from the hospital on April 24. A statement released by his spokespeople said that Atkins had been suffering from an infection of the heart for two years. The statement further maintained that this was not related to the Atkins Diet. It is widely accepted within the medical community that heart disease is often caused or aggravated by the same kind of high fat, low fiber, high cholesterol foods that Atkins recommends for his followers. "Up until today, this has been a personal and private family matter for Atkins. It is unfortunate for the family that this has not remained so," said Paul Wolff, chief executive officer of The Atkins Companies. It is too soon to tell how this news will affect the loyalty of the customers who follow his dubious diet plan.